Creatures of the Night
by Crow Skywalker
Summary: During the day, Celadon City is full of people and pokemon alike. At night, they aren't the only ones roaming the streets. [AU Pokemon. Not an original trainer fic.] [WIP]
1. Prologue

Creatures of the Night

Prologue

By Crow Skywalker

-----

Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon, nor do I claim to. Characters belong to their creators, I'm just borrowing them for my own fun.

Author's Notes – This idea came to me the other day when I realized, hey…every other fandom has crazy vampire fics, why aren't there many in the Pokemon fandom? Well, from there, my question grew into a plot bunny…and behold, you now have the start of a massive fic in the works. So far I have up to chapter eleven planned out, but not written. Updates will vary depending on the interest of this fic. I have a ton of other fics I really need to finish…why did I have to start another one? Lol. But anyway, this chapter turned out to be longer than I expected it to be. I originally decided it was going to be around 2000 words, but it ended up somewhere in the 3000's. So I hope you all enjoy what's written so far, and tell me what you think. Review, comments, questions, and all that good stuff…you know what to do!

Other Notes – AU. Rated R for dark and sexual themes, blood, violence and all that good stuff. Can't have a vampire fic without it, now can I? Normally I would put the pairings here too, but I feel that it would ruin the story/plot. You've been warned.

Summary – During the day, Celadon City is full of people and pokemon alike. At night, they aren't the only ones roaming the streets.

-----

The year was 1885 when it all began. Life consisted of men working during the day, mainly in the fields, while women waited at home with the children, cooking and cleaning for when their husbands returned home at dusk. Men who worked in the great city lived slightly different lives, though they were much the same. It was a time of old fashions, where noble women wore corsets and great gowns, and men with money threw balls for family and friends. But most of all, it was a time of darkness.

Ashtereon Ketchum was born into one of the noble families, one that was well known in the growing city of Saffron. His father had been a scientist whom specialized in Pokemon, who at the time, were widely feared. People usually fled upon meeting one, fearing its power and their own lives. They were believed to be magical creatures, cursed by Satan himself and set upon the earth to destroy human kind. Cecil Ketchum didn't believe this for one second.

During his teenage years, Cecil had went to school and later on graduated with a degree in medicine. He had always been curious about Pokemon, but it wasn't until he was finished school did his research start. After years of studying different breeds, Cecil came to the conclusion that Pokemon could indeed by tamed, much like common house cats. However, there was only one problem. How would these animals be caught? Most Pokemon knew better the stray around humans, so how would the Pokemon get used to them?

In 1846 Cecil invented what would soon change the world. An invention that could easily capture Pokemon and store them safely, enabling the person who captured it to let it out whenever he or she chose to. He called it the Pokeball, and his invention soon became world known.

It was only a few years later that Cecil met the love of his life and married, and in 1866 Ashtereon was born into the wealthy family. He was brought up proper and well educated, and it was in 1885, just before his twentieth birthday, does our story begin.

****

Man believes that he can travel through space! Read the headlines of the Saturday paper, and a nineteen-year old man almost scoffed as he turned the page quickly, briefly glancing over the next article. **Man dies in alley…** Ashtereon Ketchum, known as Ash by friends and family, let the paper drop to the table in front of him and moved to get up, his chair scraping the floor behind him.

"Ash, are you done with that paper?" His mother asked, washing the breakfast dishes despite the servant's protests. Noble women were not supposed to wash dishes – it was the servant's job! However, Delia Ketchum would have none of that. She had come from a poor family; she had been brought up doing chores, and she refused to let anyone else do them.

Ash looked up at his mother, reaching up to move a piece of his unruly ebony hair out of his eyes. "Yes, mam." He told her with a slight nod, "Did you wish to read it?"

His mother shook her head. "You know all that stuff doesn't interest me. Your father, however, is a different story."

Ash straightened his back, glancing down at the paper on the table as he stood there. "Father hasn't been home for almost a week now," he said, "He's busy working on his latest project."

Delia glanced over at her son, stopping her washing for a second, and the servant immediately took over. "Does that upset you?" She asked, drying off her hands as she gave Ash a sympathetic look. Cecil was a good father, or at least he tried to be – but he was rarely ever home.

Ash glanced up at her. "No." He answered, before asking, "You?"

Delia gave him a somewhat sad smile before sitting down at the old oak table, her fingers reaching out to trace her fingers along the expensive looking silverware. "I suppose sometimes it does bother me," she admitted, "But look at what he's given us, Ash."

Ash did not answer, looking across the room to the great balcony doors. The sun had been up for hours now, but the warmth of the day was only just beginning to set in. He stared at the sun for a moment, lost in thoughts before he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"He does not mean to ignore us," his mother said in a soft voice, "But he has obligations."

"What of his obligation to his family?" Ash shot back, finally letting his emotions show. He turned his gaze back to his mother, his eyes setting firmly on hers and holding them. She looked a bit startled at his harsh reply, and the hand on his shoulder flinched slightly before she pulled it away.

"He has promised to return for supper tonight, if that makes you feel better." Delia replied in a small voice, looking away from her son.

__

Supper? Ash frowned. Who cared about supper, when he'd practically grown up without a father? Was eating supper with a man that was more like a stranger than a father to him supposed to make his angry feelings towards the man go away? Was it supposed to make up for the neglect he'd endured since he was born? Ash turned away, heading towards the dining room entrance without a word, intending to make his exit before he upset his mother further.

"Ash," came her voice, and he hesitated only for a moment, and then he was gone.

The rest of the day was spent attending to the manor – there were things to be mended, things to see to, servants to talk to, and everything else the man of the house might have needed to do. These tasks had been bestowed upon Ash as soon as he was able to walk, talk and understand things properly. His mother had taught him everything he needed to know.

By the time dusk set in, Ash was seriously thinking about going to bed despite the sun still up and setting. Taking care of the manor and his mother's well being was not an easy job, though he had servants to help him with some of the chores involved. He was just removing his coat when a female servant with long golden hair rapped on his door.

He turned around, meeting her timid gaze as he yanked at the tie around his neck. "Yes?"

She blinked, and it seemed for a moment that she was afraid to talk. Finally she replied, "The Lady of the house wishes to speak to you."

Ash sighed, letting his tie fall loosely onto the bed. "I shall go see her, then."

The girl disappeared, leaving him alone.

__

I suppose she wishes me to attend supper, he ran a hand through his hair tiredly_. I was hoping to just skip it altogether…the less I see of that man the better._ But despite his feelings, he left his room to search out his mother.

He found her sitting in a large room which was usually used to entertain guests. Expensive paintings hung on the walls, and other artistic works could be found throughout the room. Couches of the most costly material were set about, all turned towards a massive fireplace at the very end of the room. A fireplace that was currently lit, the fire glowing brightly and casting shadows against the walls.

He entered the room, stopping meters away from one of the main chairs, where he could see her sitting. She was staring almost sadly into the fire and hadn't noticed him yet. After a few moments, Ash spoke.

"He's not coming."

The silence was broken, though Ash wondered if his mother had heard him. She made no move, and did not look in his direction. He took a step forward, slightly worried as he opened his mouth to repeat what he had just said. Her soft voice stopped him.

"He sent a servant home to tell us he would not be returning tonight."

Ash's eyebrows narrowed, angry with his father for making his mother upset like this. He'd done it hundreds of times over the years, and Ash had witnessed them all, silently cursing the older man.

Delia suddenly turned around, gazing up at him with dark eyes. "Would you do me a favor?"

__

Anything, Ash vowed, wanting to make his mother smile again. She had done that a lot when he was small, back when his father had been around more often. Now her joy had vanished, and it looked like she had aged twice as much as she should have.

Ash nodded his reply.

"Ash," she held out a pale hand, and he took it into his own as she pulled him closer, "You've grown up to be a fine man. I'm proud of you, have I ever told you that?"

The fire made a crackling noise, the pile of well-stacked logs falling within the fireplace. Ash said nothing, just stared down at his mother.

Finally, she made her request. "Take some supper to your father. He's been working hard…he must be hungry." She saw that Ash was about to protest when she added, "I had a servant wrap it up for him. It's in the kitchen." She paused. "Please, do this for me Ash?"

Ash felt something crumble inside of him, and as he pulled his hand away from his mother's he nodded_. If it makes you happy mother…if it makes you happy._

He found the package just where she said it was, laid out in the kitchen ready to be taken. Glancing out a window as he passed, Ash noticed that the sun had disappeared now, and the night had taken over. Though the city was not a safe place to walk at night, Ash would do what his mother asked of him. He was a grown man, after all, and could take care of himself. Nobody would dare attack him.

Grabbing a cloak from an old looking coat rack near the door, Ash pulled it around his shoulders, hoping that the night wasn't too chilly. He's already taken off his coat earlier, and though it probably would have been smarter to go and get it, he did not want to go all the way back upstairs to retrieve it. No, the cloak would do. It wasn't a long trip to the research lab anyway.

Stepping out into the night air, Ash closed the door behind him firmly, making sure his cloak was secure and that he had not forgotten anything. With his father's supper in one arm, Ash began to walk, his eyes to the ground as he stepped on hard cobble stoned streets. Above him, a full moon hung low in the sky and a sky full of stars shone brightly.

It took about fifteen minutes to reach his father's research facility, waving a hand as he passed a old man he assumed was a guard as he entered the building. He half wondered how many people were still here; most people were home and off the streets by sunset. But by the looks of the candles still glowing, dimly lighting up the hallways within, he knew that there had to be a few people still there, including his father.

Walking down the main hall, Ash listened as his boots clicked against the old wooden floors beneath him, his eyes staring off into the darkness as he let the candles guide him. On either side of him were doors, some of them with signs on the door clearly stating 'Keep Out', while others were bare. Ash knew this building off by heart – his father's lab was at the end of the hall.

Finally reaching that last door, Ash wondered if he should knock or not. His father was normally busy and did not want to be disturbed, but by the lack of sounds coming from the other side of the door, Ash figured it would be all right.

Lifting a hand to the knob, he twisted his hand to turn it, stopping suddenly when he heard voices on the other side of the door. Ash frowned, turning his head slightly in hopes of hearing something. Was there someone else in the room with his father? Perhaps his father was in an important meeting with a client interested in his work?

A few minutes passed, and Ash didn't hear any more voices. Either they were talking too lowly for him to hear, or Ash was hearing things.

__

That wouldn't surprise me, Ash rolled his eyes, _I'm already going crazy!_ As resolve set in, Ash finally gripped the doorknob and turned it, letting the door swing open. The room was empty.

__

Odd. "Father?"

There was a strange noise coming from behind one of the old lab benches, and Ash listened hard, setting the supper he was carrying down on a nearby table.

"Is there anyone here?" He called out.

No answer. Just a soft gurgling noise.

__

Where's that coming from? Ash wondered, taking another step into the room. A strong metallic smell met his nose, one unlike the usual medical smell that he was used to. Something was wrong.

"Father?"

A shadow moved, and Ash's eyes shot in that direction. He immediately started across the room, only to slip on something in the darkness. He landed on his back, his head hitting off the floor hard enough that he saw stars before his eyes. He groaned, wincing in pain, and lifting a hand up, he felt the back of his head.

Something warm dripped into his eyes.

__

What the hell..? Ash frantically rubbed at it, only spreading more of the warm goo across his face. In the darkness of the room, he couldn't see what it was.

Letting his hand drop back to his side, Ash propped himself up so that he was sitting, his hands slipping in whatever it was he had fell in. Moments later he finally managed to pull himself to his feet, gripping onto a table so that he would not slip on the smooth wet floor again.

Glancing down, Ash could not determine what the puddle was beneath his feet, but as his eyes finally left the floor to look at the table, he held back a startled gasp. In the dim light of the candle on the table, Ash could clearly see the red liquid that still clung to his fingers and was now staining the wooden table.

__

Blood, he glanced down, _and lots of it!_

His eyes trailed the path the blood seemed to make, and he almost fell backwards in shock at what he saw peeking around the corner of the table. An arm, still attached to a body he presumed, though the table blocked it from view. On the middle finger of the hand was a golden ring – the Ketchum family crest engraved on it.

"Father?" Ash started forward, horror apparent on his face. The closer he moved to the arm, the more the body appeared, right up until Ash was able to see the man's face. He was dead, blood leaking out of a wound in his neck.

Ash stumbled backwards. He had to find someone! He had to get the guard – anyone! He backed up into a strong chest, and his worries doubled as he turned to find a man staring down at him. To any human, the one before him looked pretty normal. He wore clothes that were in fashion, made of material that only nobles could buy, and his hair was slicked back close to his head. He looked like any other man of this time, except for his eyes, which held an evil look about them, which was only intensified as they glinted gold in the candle light.

"Ah," the man spoke, his voice deep and laced with coldness. Ash felt a shiver go down his spine. "So you must be Ashtereon Ketchum. I've heard a lot about you."

"W-who are you?" Ash asked, and glanced back at the body on the floor, "Are you the one who killed him?"

"Well of course not," the man replied, and for a moment Ash's heart finally stopped its rapid beating, slowing down to a steady pace. So this man wasn't a killer! For a moment, Ash had thought this was the end of him! But his heart quickly started up again when the man suddenly smiled, "He killed himself. Well, maybe I gave him a bit of help there."

Ash backed up. "Why?"

"The consequences of disobeying me, is all. He was a good man, but he never followed through with what I told him to do." The man shook his head. "I asked one small thing. Go home, and bring me his son. And did he do that? No, he had to go all hero on me and stay here when he should have been leading you to me!" He snorted a laugh, "But it turns out you came anyway. I didn't need him."

Ash continued to back up, hitting a chair and causing it to fall over. "What do you want with me?"

The man smiled, a cold and heartless smile, before grabbing Ash by the collar of his cloak and pulling him forward. His eyes glowed a fiery golden color, and he grinning wickedly. "Your life," he answered, and the man's mouth opened, his strong arms pulling Ash closer as his teeth dug into the tender flesh of Ash's neck, his teeth extending into fangs as the blood came forth.

Ash struggled hard against the stronger man, unable to comprehend what was happening. All he knew was that his father was dead, this man wanted something from him, and he was quickly growing very tired. Wait, was that his own blood he could feel dripping down his neck?

Minutes seemed to drag on forever, and Ash's struggles ceased. Finally, the man heard him take his last breath, and Ash went limp in his arms. He let go of him, and Ash fell to the floor.

"By the way," the man laughed harshly, cutting his own wrist and holding it above Ash so that his blood dripped into the boy's mouth and wound, "The name's Geovanni."

-----

Ashtereon Ketchum

1866 – 1885

Beloved son.

May your soul rest in peace.

-----

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter One

Creatures of the Night

Chapter One

By Crow Skywalker

-----

Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon, nor do I claim to. Characters belong to their creators, I'm just borrowing them for my own fun.

Author's Notes – Finally finished chapter one last night. I got stuck writing the battle scene half way through, and I had writers block for a while…but it passed last night and I couldn't stop writing, lol. So, once again, this chapter is longer than it was intended to be. Anyway, before anyone reads this and asks, this is not a Ash/May fic. Also, I couldn't find May's last name, so I just gave her the name of her hometown. I don't want to babble on any longer, so read, enjoy and review.

Other Notes – AU. Rated R for dark and sexual themes, blood, violence and all that good stuff. Can't have a vampire fic without it, now can I? Normally I would put the pairings here too, but I feel that it would ruin the story/plot. You've been warned.

Summary – During the day, Celadon City is full of people and pokemon alike. At night, they aren't the only ones roaming the streets.

-----

The night was dark and cold, though the city of Celadon was brightly lit. All around were flashing signs and lights, late hour clubs with their doors open and music blaring into the night. Though it was a cold day for spring, the streets were crowded with people, mainly laughing teenagers who were out looking for a good time.

A rumble overhead caused some of them to stop, being bumped into and cursed upon by angry people behind them. However, another rumble signaled that the sky was indeed threatening the pedestrians below with a promise of a thunderstorm. Couples scrambled into nearby buildings and others did much the same, some of them giving up on their late night activities and heading home.

It began to rain, small drops hitting the pavement below before gathering into puddles or getting lost down the drains. There were some female squeals as women tried to get to shelter, grabbing old newspapers to put over their heads in hope that it would save them from the rain. As if the sky knew this and felt somewhat evil tonight, the clouds opened up and with a flash of lightening it began to poor out of the heavens.

In the darkness of an alley, not far from the flashing light and noise, a lone figure dressed in black walked confidently through the abandoned alley, his shoes clicking on the rough pavement, the rain not bothering him even when he stepped into the growing puddles on the ground. He was on a mission, and an important one at that. A little rain could not stop him from the task at hand.

From the back of his cloak, within the hood, a small black nose poked out, sniffing the air. Twitching when another flash of lightening passed overhead, a small yellow ear appeared from the folds, carefully turning in every direction as it listened for an unknown sound.

"Pika!"

The figure wearing the cloak stopped briefly, a hand reaching up to pat the small furry head of the Pikachu behind him. Searching out the electric Pokemon's ear, he gave it a light scratch. "I know, Pikachu," the man spoke in a quiet voice, "He's in here somewhere."

At that very moment there was a screech, metal garbage cans just ahead of them tipping over. The man in the cloak's hand immediately went to the belt around his waist, his eyes searching the darkness for any movement.

"Pikachu chu pi?" The yellow mouse asked in his ear, and the man immediately translated it to: **Do you think it's him?**

The cloaked man shook his head, letting his tense fingers ease as he dropped his arm to his side. From behind the garbage cans came a meow, and a moment later a old tabby cat, who looked like he's seen better days, came padding out, its fur soaked with rain. For a moment the cloaked man almost felt sorry for the cat – until the tabby turned to look at him and arching its back, hissed loudly at him.

****

I don't think he likes you very much, came the Pikachu's amused voice.

"Apparently." The man answered, watching as the cat took off down the alley.

The attack came from nowhere, and the man felt a searing pain in his back. He almost doubled over, and Pikachu chattered worriedly behind him.

He attacked you with an ice blade! 

The injured man winced in pain, his hand coming up behind him until he felt the cold blade of ice buried deep within his back. All the while he did not look away from the dark figures that now stood before him, his eyes meeting his enemy's challenging gaze.

"So the great Ashtereon Ketchum is defeated by a simple ice blade?" Laughed a cold voice.

"Not really," Ash replied, wincing at the mention of his old name. With steady fingers he wrapped a hand around the blade of frozen water in his back, and gritting his teeth, he pulled. The blade slid out and he let it fall, cracking into pieces as it hit the ground. "It just hurts like hell."

"How about another one?" Asked the other man, and the figure beside him took a step forward.

Ash studied them through the darkness, his eyes narrowing in on his main threat – the man before him. Unlike the dark figure, Ash had an advantage that he could use. While the enemy struggled hard to see through the darkness, Ash could see easily. So, as the other man settled into fighting mode, Ash evaluated the figures before him.

The first one, a man that looked as if he was in his late thirties, was the one who was doing all the talking. It was the man that Ash had been searching for earlier, the one who had hidden so well and had been so quiet that when he had snuck up behind Ash he hadn't even heard him coming. And with Ash's superior hearing, that was a great task. The man had straight midnight blue hair, longer than most guys would grow it. It descended his back in a ponytail, his bangs left out to tumble down either side of his face. Through the darkness Ash could see his red eyes clearly, the cleft in his chin, and every other little detail that could be seen about the man.

The second figure, a lot shorter than the first, was not human. Ash immediately guessed that it was the man's Pokemon, and as lightening flashed over head Ash got an even clearer view of it. It was a Vaporeon, its scaly skin a greenish-blue color. It had odd shaped ears, and behind it was a tail much like the mythical mermaid's. It had its head down, back arched as it growled at Ash.

"Is this really necessary?" Ash asked, and thunder roared overhead. "Just hand over what I'm looking for. You can't kill me."

The blue haired man grit his teeth, one hand clenching at his side. "No, but I can sure as hell try!"

"Why bother?" Ash asked, moving his hand silently to the belt at his side. From where Pikachu sat on his shoulder, it gave him a confused look. Wasn't Ask going to use him in the upcoming battle? Why was he choosing someone else? Ash looked at his Pokemon from the corner of his eyes, silently sending him a message that everything was going to be all right. Turning his attention back to the other man, he finished. "You're only going to lose anyway."

"Not this time," the man replied, and with a jerk of his hand he shouted, "Vaporeon! Ice blade!"

Ash grabbed the Pokeball on his belt as the last words were said, and watching carefully as the Vaporeon's ice attack was sculpted into another fine blade of ice, he threw the Pokeball down on the ground. His eyes never left his enemy as there was a flash of red and his chosen Pokemon appeared.

In the darkness the Pokemon was hard to see, its shiny black coat blending it in with the darkness of the night and the rain that was pouring it down. The only thing that could be seen was its tell tale yellow patterns and it's red eyes glowing in the night.

"An Umbreon," the other man mused, grabbing the ice blade once it was finished, and swinging it for good measure. "How appropriate for you. Tell me, do all your Pokemon live in the darkness as you do?"

Ash finally tore his gaze away from his opponent, glancing down at the cat/dog-like Pokemon that now stood between him and the enemy. With a smirk, Ash gave a small shrug, looking up at the other man, who he had now dubbed 'Midnight' due to his hair. "I suppose you could say that. What would I do with a Pokemon that wasn't nocturnal, anyway?"

Umbreon made a rumbling noise deep in its throat, eyeing its fellow evolution. A single paw raked at the ground, its nails scratching against the dark pavement as it continued to growl. It awaited the battle and its first command.

Midnight raised a brow, looking down at the fierce Pokemon. "You've trained it well," he commented, before his gaze snapped up and he rushed forward, beginning the attack.

"Pikachu, away." Ash stated simply. Pikachu did what he was told, jumping off of Ash's shoulder and running off to watch from a safe place, ready to be called if he was needed. The battle between Eevee evolutions began without the Pokemon being told, and Ash could hear the snarling and sounds of battle as the two Pokemon fought each other.

"That was a bad move, Ketchum!" Snarled Midnight, bringing the blade down to slash at the cloaked man. However, his blade hit nothing but air as he landed from his attack, digging the sharp tip of the ice into the ground as he found his footing, twisting around to see where Ash had disappeared to. He found him standing in the same spot, looking as if he hadn't moved at all. "What the…?"

Ash turned around to face him, a bored expression on his face. "You're human, aren't you?" He asked. "Did your boss not tell you what you were up against?"

"He told me everything I needed to know!" Midnight hesitated, lifting his blade warily in his right hand. "That you are a creature of the night, and that if you appeared I was to kill you!" He raised his blade, preparing for another attack, "I was hired especially for this! I am the number one swordsman in Celadon City!"

With a battle cry Midnight raced forward, blade gripped tightly in his leather-clad hands. With a swing, he planned to run Ash through with the deadly blade of ice, this time knowing that he wouldn't miss. The boss had hired him specifically because he was the best, and he was going to show the man before him what he was made of!

Ash caught the blade this time, perfectly between two hands. Holding it firmly between his hands, he gazed along the blade's length at his attacker. "He obviously hired the wrong guy to do his dirty work," Ash commented, and with one hard push the hilt of the blade smashed into Midnight's eye. The man doubled over, and Ash let the blade go.

Behind them, it seemed like Umbreon was getting the upper hand. Camouflaged with its dark color, it could easily move in the darkness of the night unseen. Being a dark Pokemon, it had an advantage over the water Pokemon. Currently, Umbreon had its sharp fangs dug into Vaporeon's neck, which was hissing angrily and trying to throw it off.

Umbreon growled, sinking its fangs in deeper.

"Vaporeon!" The water Pokemon cried, and with a hard swing of its tail, it managed to dislodge the dark Pokemon. Backing up a distance to catch its breath, Vaporeon felt the warm blood trickling down its neck. Umbreon had managed to break its tough skin, and now Vaporeon was very angry. Planting all paws firmly on the ground, its eyes glowed a bright green as it blasted a Water Gun attack at Umbreon. Caught off guard, Umbreon was lifted off the ground and slammed into the brick wall behind it.

"Umbreon!" It cried out in pain, its red eyes closing as the Water Gun continued, water blasting at it at remarkable speeds.

Ash stopped dodging Midnight's attacks, who, after swearing loudly, had started attacking Ash with his fists repeatedly. Midnight was enraged, swinging his fists despite only being able to see out of one eye. His right eye, which Ash had slammed the hilt of the blade into, was red and useless. Ash knew that the man before him would never see out of that eye again.

****

Umbreon, use your Swift Attack! Ash ordered his Pokemon with his mind, momentarily looking over his shoulder to see how his Pokemon was fairing. This moment of lost concentration was all Midnight needed, and, picking up his ice blade from where it had fallen, he slammed it into Ash's stomach. Ash fell to his knees in pain. He mightn't be human, but being stabbed still hurt.

"Now you have two matching holes!" Midnight yelled angrily, pulling the blade out with a quick jerk of his hand.

Behind them, Umbreon called out to its master, having opened its eyes long enough to see his master fall to his knees. Remembering what Ash had told him to do, he inched his head ever so slightly to its left, where its paw was trapped beneath the water. Struggling against the pressure, it managed to bite into its fine ebony fur, pulling out its hair with its sharp teeth. Then, taking a deep breath of air, it spat them at its fellow Eevee evolution. The hairs glowed in the short distance, turning deadly. Vaporeon stopped its attack, dodging out of the way. But not before a sharp hair pieced its fish like ears.

Umbreon landed on its feet, shaking off its wet fur coat, even though it was still raining out. Vaporeon's Water Gun attack was much colder than the drops of rain falling. Having that done, it quickly turned its head worriedly to look at Ash.

****

Don't worry, I'm all right. His voice sounded in the Pokemon's head, and Umbreon nodded slightly as it turned back to watch Vaporeon, who was snapping at the needle like fur lodged painfully in its ear. While the water Pokemon was distracted, Umbreon leapt, claws outstretched and mouth full of sharp pointy teeth.

"You can't beat me," Midnight was boasting, walking around the fallen man. Ash winced as the other man delivered a kick to his side, and he did all he could to stay upright on one knee, one hand at the wound to his stomach, the other lost somewhere in the darkness of his cloak. There was a scraping noise and, glancing up, Ash noticed the now bloody ice blade touching the ground. Its deadly tip left a stain of sheered ice and blood on the wet pavement as Midnight moved around him.

"Pika!" Came Pikachu's shout from somewhere up above, and Ash saw his favorite Pokemon and best friend gazing down at him from an old fire escape. The electric mouse looked anxious, worry clear upon its face. Ash knew that Pikachu wanted to help him, but he silently shook his head no.

I can handle this. ****

You're hurt! Pikachu cried, and he gripped the railing as if he were about to jump down.

****

No! Ash shouted, giving him a firm look through the darkness and the rain. **I know what I'm doing!**

The small electric mouse still seemed restless.

Midnight smirked evilly. "Talking to your rat, are you?" He asked, "I heard that vampires have that ability – they can communicate with Pokemon. Is it true?"

Ash didn't answer him. He simply glared.

The blue haired man glanced up at the yellow mouse, then back at Ash. "By the looks of it, your Pikachu has abandoned you. You're about to die, and your Pokemon is hiding." He lifted the bloody blade, waving it at the electric Pokemon, "Don't worry, you're next!" He turned then, and for a moment Ash thought the other man was going to try to finish him off. But he surprised Ash by turning to the two battling Pokemon, his empty hand taking a gun from his belt, "But first…"

Ash's eyes widened, darting back and forth from the man now holding a gun to his unsuspecting Pokemon. Umbreon was a fast Pokemon, but there was no way it could move fast enough to dodge bullets!

"I think I'll pop off its eyes first," Midnight was saying, aiming his gun and tilting his head, looking through his good eye. "Since you took one of mine! It will give me great pleasure to see your Pokemon suffer."

Ash tried to stand, stumbling as he held on to his bleeding wound. He was growing dizzy from lack of blood, and unless he found something to eat soon, he would probably be dead within the hour.

Sensing his movement, Midnight swung the gun back on Ash. "Don't move!"

Ash stopped all movement, staring up at the blue haired man. He had no choice – he had to do what he was told.

Midnight smirked. "Good." And then the gun was turned on Umbreon again, who was busy wresting with the water Pokemon.

****

Umbreon, Ash stared at his Pokemon, who abruptly stopped to look at Ash. **Stay still. Don't move.**

Vaporeon, sensing his enemy's hesitation, attacked more furiously. Umbreon tried to hold his ground.

"Too bad he's yours, Ketchum," Midnight commented, "He'd make me a good Pokemon."

"You're a horrible trainer," Ash replied dryly, staring at the gun in Midnight's hands, "It's a wonder your Pokemon obeys you at all."

"We'll see about that," Midnight replied, malice in his voice. "Vaporeon!" At the sound of his name, the water Pokemon looked to its owner, "Back off!"

The Pokemon did what it was told, backing away from Umbreon with a questioning gaze. Umbreon continued to do what it was told, going as far as sitting down on the cold hard pavement.

"Stupid Pokemon," Midnight laughed, "Its sitting there…making itself an easy target!" There was a click as he pulled back on the gun, his finger on the trigger. "Say goodbye to your Pokemon, Ketchum!"

He pulled the trigger, and the sound of a gunshot echoed through the alley. From above, Pikachu watched in horror, and Umbreon flinched. They both watched as if in slow motion, awaiting the hit that would kill the dark Pokemon.

It never came.

From where he stood, Midnight dropped the gun he was holding. It fell to the wet ground with a thud, a noise that was accompanied with a strange gurgling sound. As the gun fell, Midnight fell to his knees, blood dripping out of his mouth as he stared straight ahead, his good eye wide and unseeing.

"Nobody fucks with my Pokemon," Ash's cold voice came from behind him, and Ash dropped the hand holding his own gun, which he had cleverly hidden under his cloak next to his Pokebelt. He clipped it back to his side, once again covering it with his dark cloak, and stepped towards the dying man. "Now, I believe you have something I want."

Midnight could not answer, only stare down at himself in shock. Ash had shot him – he was going to die.

Kicking the blue haired man over onto his side, Ash began searching through his clothes. He found what he was looking for in Midnight's back pocket, folded neatly in a plastic bag so that the weather had not harmed it.

Ash waved the bag in front of him with a smile. "Thanks, man." Turning to Umbreon, he nodded his head, and reaching out with a Pokeball in his hand, he recalled the Pokemon. Above him, Pikachu jumped down from stair to stair on the fire escape, jumping onto Ash's shoulder from the last small metal balcony.

****

I thought Umbreon was a goner there for a second, Pikachu said, tilting his head to look at the papers in Ash's hands.

"You doubt me that much?" Ash asked, putting the papers away somewhere safe. He grimaced as his stomach and back caused pain to shoot through him.

Pikachu seemed to notice his discomfort. **Come on, we need to get home before they send more people after us. Besides, you need a good rest and drink…you need those wounds to heal quickly.**

Ash nodded, turning away from the now dead man lying in the alley in the rain. "You're right. Let's go home."

-----

May Petalburg was sitting back in her desk, her hands behind her head and her feet propped up on the desk when the door crashed open. Startled, the young girl jumped in her seat, causing the chair to move backwards and fall. She managed to get both feet on the ground, her hands steady on either side of the chair, as a dark cloaked man and his Pikachu entered the apartment.

May had been seventeen years old when she had first met Ash Ketchum. She had always been curious about things that went bump in the night, and at an early age she decided that she wanted to seek out and prove the existence of creatures such as vampires, werewolves, and monsters. While she had found no werewolves and monsters on her journey, she had wandered across rumors while heading through Celadon just a few years after she had left her hometown.

The rumors had been that a vampire lurked in the darkness of the city, destroying his own kind and feeding only off blood from butcher shops and blood banks. At first, May didn't believe such things. When growing up, she had been taught that vampires were vile, evil beings. But she had managed to find out that the rumors were true enough, and after about a year of investigating, she had finally come across him.

May watched as Ash crossed the room, shedding his black cloak. Underneath he wore clothes of the same color – a somewhat tight black shirt that showed off his muscular chest nicely, and matching black jeans. May had never seen him wear anything different in all the time she had known him, which was almost a year now.

She'd found him fighting off another one of his kind one night – a heated battle that she was sure he was going to lose. But he'd impressed her as he had thrown the final blow, and she had clapped in the end, startling him. At first, he had refused to talk to her. That was, until she had mentioned his name. When asked how she knew it, she simply informed him that she'd done her research – she knew all about his past and present.

He had been shocked to know this, though he made no attempt to stick around and find out why she was following him. It was when she had mentioned the name 'Geovanni', and her vast knowledge of languages and abilities that he finally stopped. He intrigued her, and she wanted to know more. She knew more about the modern world than he did, and he needed the help. They had joined forces – he the brute strength, and she the brains out of the two. They made a good team.

Raising a brow, she watched as Pikachu darted after Ash into the kitchen, chattering about something or other. "Did you get the scrolls?" She called out, curious now. How had his latest mission gone?

Ash returned moments later, a first aid kit in one hand and a bag of warm blood in the other. May scrunched up her nose as he sat down on her good couch, seeing the blood on him for the first time.

"I got them." Ash finally replied, peeling off his shirt to get a better look at his wounds. Pikachu sat at his feet, ready if his master needed anything.

"Mission didn't go too well, I see." May commented, getting up out of her chair. She walked towards Ash, carefully studying the damage that was done. Bending down on one knee, she winced as she saw the hole in his stomach.

"The holder wouldn't give them over without a fight," Ash said through gritted teeth, and he winced as May took the first aid kit from his cold fingers.

May opened the small white box up, picking through the contents until she found what she was looking for. _Aha! Bandages! _She glanced at his wounds again. _I'm going to need lots of these…_ "I told you it wasn't going to be easy! Who'd he send this time, anyway?"

"Some guy." Ash shrugged, despite the pain, "Didn't exactly catch his name. Oddly enough, he was human."

"Ah," May nodded. "Took care of him?"

Ash watched as she worked, unfolding the bandages and taping him up. "Didn't have a choice. If I hadn't have killed him, then he would have killed me and my Pokemon."

May shook her head, wrapping a bandage around his shoulder so that his back was covered as well. She saw him grimace at her touch. "Oh Ashy, where would you be without me?"

Ash looked up at her, giving her a rare smile. "I probably would be back living on the streets, doing what I usually do."

"You would bleed to death without me," May sighed.

"Probably."

"You need to take better care of yourself." She scolded lightly.

Ash resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

There was a moment of silence as May finished up, cutting the bandages and making sure the tape was holding firmly. Finally, standing up, she declared, "There! All done!"

Ash mumbled thanks, glancing at his dirt and blood covered shirt. He would have to wash it before he put it on again.

"Next time, do me a favor?" May asked, and Ash tilted his head as he looked up at her. She was staring down at him now, hands on her hips and a stern look upon her face.

"What's that?" He asked as Pikachu jumped up on the couch. The electric mouse chirped happily at him before crawling onto his knees, where the Pokemon proceeded to lie down. It drooped its ears to one side, urging Ash to scratch them. Ash obliged.

"Take Gary with you." May grabbed the first aid kit, closing it before taking it back into the kitchen. Behind her, she could hear Ash grumble about something. "I know he can be quite an asshole at times, but he _is_ a really big help."

"Whatever." Ash answered, settling back on the couch. He was careful not to upset his wounds as he reached for the blood bag, one hand scratch Pikachu's ears. It was then that he remembered the package in his pocket. "May, come here for a second!"

The brown haired girl appeared from the kitchen, and he handed her the package of paper. "Here, these are the scrolls."

May took them, settling down next to Ash on the couch as she looked over them. The scrolls were written in an odd language that she didn't recognize, and she squinted as she tried to study the words in front of her. It was a language totally foreign to her, and that was disturbing considering she had studied every language she could while she was still living with her father at his Pokemon Gym.

"Can you translate that?"

"I don't know," She replied honestly, "I've never seen these characters before!"

Ash leaned over to get a better look. He didn't know what any of it meant either. He was about to open his mouth to say that it had all been in vain – he'd went after scrolls that couldn't be translated and got hurt for no reason, when May suddenly got up, her eyes never leaving the pages.

"I'm going to have to look all of this up," she stated.

"How long will that take?" Ash asked.

"A few days…maybe a week."

"Try to make it a few days."

May nodded, heading over to her computer and sitting back down in her favorite chair. "I'll try my best." Finally, she glanced over at Ash. "You should get to bed, get a decent night's rest. You need to save your energy…you never know what you'll be fighting next."

For once, Ash didn't disagree with her. Picking up Pikachu with one arm, and carrying his bag of blood in the other, Ash disappeared into his room, leaving May to look over the scrolls in peace.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter Two

Creatures of the Night

Chapter Two

By Crow Skywalker

-----

Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon, nor do I claim to. Characters belong to their creators, I'm just borrowing them for my own fun.

Author's Notes – Another chapter written. Had to struggle to reach 4000 words this time, mainly because it's more talk and less action. The dream sequence wasn't even in what I had originally planned out, but I thought it would be good to add it in. There will be more dream/memory sequences in the future, mainly because it lets us in on Ash's dark past. I'll try not to shove too much in though. And yes, before anyone asks, Brock, Misty, Tracey, Team Rocket, and Max will be appearing in this fic. There will also be a few other characters from the anime appearing as well. However, we don't even meet Misty until chapter six (told you I had it all planned out! Lol)…and well, other characters show up from there. Anyway, the beginning of this chapter was fun to write…but I don't really like how the phone conversation came out. When I first started out I wanted Ash to be pretty much emotionless, dark, and mysterious. It seems talkitiveanime!Ash is trying to take over. Oh well. I guess I should shut up now and let you read, huh?

Other Notes – AU. Rated R for dark and sexual themes, blood, violence and all that good stuff. Can't have a vampire fic without it, now can I? Normally I would put the pairings here too, but I feel that it would ruin the story/plot. You've been warned.

Summary – During the day, Celadon City is full of people and pokemon alike. At night, they aren't the only ones roaming the streets.

-----

It was cold, and the air was damp and heavy with the smell of dirt. Groaning, he clenched his eyes against the darkness, lifting a hand so that he could feel his head. It felt like he'd been run over by a horse and carriage, and he really needed to check out the damage. The problem was, once he raised his hand so high, it hit off something hard.

His eyes still closed as he dealt with the burning on his own, Ash's mind did not process anything. All he knew was that he was in pain, and currently something was stopping him from reaching the pain and whatever relief his cold hands might bring. He tried once more to lift his hand, but found that he could not bring it up any further than the last time.

What happened? Ash wondered, uttering a small groan as he tried to move his body. It seemed he was trapped on both sides as well, and he couldn't move more than a few centimeters. **Where am I?** As if answering his questions, memories suddenly rushed back to him, and his eyes snapped open in the darkness.

"Father!" His eyes searched, seeing nothing as both hands rose, his palms hitting against something rough and wooden. Confused, Ash struggled to lift whatever was above him, but it wouldn't budge. He was starting to get frantic now, and his hands balled into fists as he banged hard on the wooden structure. He had to get out! He had to help his father! But no mater how hard he pounded on the wood above him, it would not move.

Ash stopped momentarily, letting his tired arms fall back to his side as he caught his breath. Moving his hands ever so slightly, he felt around the structure that he was in. It appeared to be a wooden box of some sort, and for a moment a horrifying thought passed through his head – what if he was dead?

He almost scoffed out loud at such a stupid thought. Of course he wasn't dead! He was lying here breathing, feeling wood beneath his fingertips! He couldn't be dead – dead people couldn't see, feel, hear –

But he couldn't see. It was too dark. And, holding his breath, he realized that he couldn't hear anything either. Was it possible that he was dead?

That thought made him panic, and he started banging hard on the lid of the wooden box with a new strength. Surely if he made enough noise someone would come and free him?

"Hey! Is anyone out there?" He called, listening for some sort of answer. There was none.

Growing angry, he stopped his pounding, about ready to give up. Giving one last punch to the lid, his hope was renewed as there was a cracking noise and, ignoring the pain coming from his now bleeding knuckles, he hit the same spot again. There was another crack, much louder than the first.

Come on, he prayed through gritted teeth. He hit the lid again, and this time he felt his fist go through it and into something damp and soft. For a moment he left his hand there, wondering what it was he was touching. Finally, he pulled his hand back into the coffin, and the damp material came with it. For a moment he lay there, staring up into darkness as he felt more of the material fall through the wood. Running his fingers through it, he finally caught a familiar smell.

It's dirt! His eyes widened in the dark, **I'm in a box, surrounded by dirt! My God! They've buried me alive!**

His frantic struggles continued, breaking open the lid and making the hole bigger. All the while dirt ran down on him, and he tried his best to ignore it. The sooner he got out and went home to warm up next to his fireplace, the sooner he could forget about the horrible fright of waking up in a coffin. Though he doubted he would ever forget such a horrific experience.

The hole was almost big enough to fit through now, and Ash had to keep his mouth and eyes shut so that dirt would not get in them. Finally, with all his might, he reached his hand up through the dirt, trying to pull himself up out of the coffin. It broke the surface, and gripping the dirt, he pulled.

_When his head reached the surface, Ash took a moment to breathe in the fresh air. His eyes opened, and for the first time since he woke up, he could see clearly. Focusing on pulling the rest of him out of the ground, Ash clenched his teeth and tried to haul himself up out of the dirt. It was a hard thing to do, considering most of his body was now stuck under a ton of dirt, but he managed to crawl out. He stood on his hands and knees for a long time, panting and staring at the soil and grass below him. Finally, glancing up, he took in his surroundings._

It was dark out, the sky clouded so that not a star could be seen. This made it next to impossible to see, but for some reason Ash found that his eyesight was getting better by the second. The night was cold, but that didn't seem to bother him either. He barely even felt the breeze that blew in between the gravestones around him.

Wait a minute, Ash frowned, **gravestones?**

He knew he had been buried alive, but seeing the tilted stones that littered the cold ground made it seem a lot more real. He really_ wanted to get out of there now, and he began to get up when something caught his eye. Beside the grave that he had just crawled out of was a newer headstone than the rest. Looking over it in the darkness, Ash could clearly see the name that was finely carved into stone._

Cecil Ketchum.

Shock, that's what he felt as he tumbled backwards, landing on the cold ground and just barely missing the hole he'd just crawled out of.

His father was dead, buried next to –

Ash's head snapped behind him, ignoring the hole as he stared at his own headstone.

Ashtereon Ketchum.

Ash's fingers clenched in the dirt, and he couldn't look away as all hope left him. He really was dead. But how could that be, if he was sitting here confused and terrified? His head began to spin, and if it wasn't for the terrible hunger he was feeling in his stomach, he was sure he would have vomited.

"Ah, so you're up. I thought you would never awaken."

The voice came from somewhere off to his right, a familiar voice that Ash knew quite well. It was the last voice he had ever heard…right before his death. He turned his head, gazing up at the man who was walking towards him, molding in with the darkness of the night. The man stopped a few feet from Ash, staring down at him.

"You." Ash stared up at him with hatred.

"So you remember me," the man mused. From the darkness came four pairs of glowing yellow eyes, unseen figures who stepped up behind the man. "In case you don't remember, my name's Geovanni." Ash said nothing, just continued to glare at the man. Geovanni laughed at this, and gestured to the figures to either side of him.

Above, the dark cloud covering the sky passed, and moonlight flooded the graveyard. Ash stumbled backwards awkwardly when he caught sight of their faces; their long fangs glinting in the light as they smirked evilly and grinned down at him.

"I've come to welcome you to the family."

Ash sat up, a thin layer of sweat covering his half naked body as he breathed heavily, gripping the sheets of his bed tightly. Beside him, Pikachu twitched in its sleep, but didn't wake up. Looking up, Ash glanced around his room, the one he'd grown used to sleeping in, finding everything in place and where he had left it. Shaking his head, he realized he was in May's apartment, not in the old cemetery that he had first woken up in.

"It was a nightmare," He whispered in the darkness. Or had it been? He remembered that day exactly as it happened – every action, every word that was spoken. He could picture it all clearly in his head; the day he had woken up in his coffin and found out that he was one of them – a creature of the night – and that he was cursed to live forever, to feed off the innocent and take lives.

It hadn't been a nightmare. It had been a memory from the past.

Pikachu rolled over in his sleep, stretching out its small arms and legs. Ash smiled down at his Pokemon, reaching out a hand to scratch under the electric mouse's chin. Pikachu smiled in its sleep, emitting a loud "Chaaa!" of pleasure. Ash continued to scratch him, glancing around the room until his eyes landed on a nearby clock.

It's 4:56, Ash mused in the dark. In a room without windows, it was hard to tell time. With a sigh he pulled himself out of bed, leaving Pikachu to grumble angrily in his sleep, rolling back over on his stomach so that he lay in Ash's empty spot. Ash ignored this, finding a new black shirt in the darkness and pulling it over his head. That done, he searched for his pants, finding them hanging off the bedpost. Slipping them on, he went to the door, opening it a crack. It was a lot lighter in the rest of the apartment, and Ash guessed he'd slept most of the day away.

"May?" He called cautiously, wincing as his eyes grew accustomed to the light. From somewhere out in the living room came a clicking noise, and suddenly the light was less bothersome.

"It's okay Ash!" He heard May call from somewhere in the apartment, "I've closed all the blinds."

He let the door open the rest of the way, and he took a step out of his dark room. He found May seated where he had left her the night before, sitting at her computer. However, her desk was less clean now because it was littered with different books and scrolls. She was busily typing something up on her computer when he walked up behind her, peering over her shoulders as she surfed the Internet.

"Did you sleep at all?" Ash asked, and for a moment she didn't answer, her mind completely on the task in front of her. Ash had a mind to shake his head – May was always like this. She let work take over her life, and he'd seen her going days without sleep as she researched and looked up information for him.

"No." She said after a moment, her fingers finally leaving her keyboard as she grabbed a nearby pencil, quickly sketching down something on one of the papers in front of her.

"Would you like a cup of coffee?" He offered. It was the least he could do for setting such a task upon her. He watched as she nodded her head slightly, not once looking up at him as she continued her work.

Grabbing her mug of cold coffee, which had obviously been sitting on the desk untouched for most of the night, he started off in the direction of the kitchen. Switching the coffee maker on to warm it up, he leaned against the cupboards as he looked across the kitchen and into the dining room/living room. He could see May from where he stood.

"Have you made any progress?" Ash asked loudly, knowing that she could hear him.

May suddenly grabbed her pencil again, writing on the same piece of paper she had before. Ash heard the small snap as the lead cracked as she pressed a little too hard on the small pencil. May suddenly cursed, glaring hard at the object in her hand. "This is the third time it's done this today!"

"May?"

She blinked, finally looking over her shoulder at the darkly dressed man in her kitchen. His question finally set in. "Oh!" She grabbed a piece of paper, standing as she looked over it, "I managed to translate one of these letters, but I'm still working on the rest." She joined Ash in the kitchen then, handing him the paper. "Do you want to take a look at it?"

Ash raised a brow, staring down at the scribbled paper. He doubted anyone but May herself could read those chicken scratches. "No thanks," he told her. "Just tell me what you've found."

"Well," she laid the paper down on the kitchen counter, pointing at an odd shaped scribble. "This right here was the first letter on the scroll," her finger moved down the page, landing on an 'O'. "My sources tell me it translates to this. There's a few other 'o's in the passage, too. The second word has one, the third word has two, and the seventh word has the last." She scrunched up her nose, "So far I can only guess what the second word is. It's only two letters, with a 'o'. But that could be either 'of' or 'on'…so I have a lot more work to do before I can read the entire thing."

"You're making good progress," Said Ash, which earned him a smile from the tired looking girl.

May's smiled instantly faded, and her mouth opened. "That reminds me! The Professor phoned you! He wants an update on your progress with this!"

Ash glanced at the blank videophone that sat opposite of May's desk, wondering what he was going to tell the Professor. Looking back at May, he handed her the cup he had been holding. "You do this, I'll take care of that now."

May nodded, taking the cup and eagerly grabbing for the coffee pot. Within moments she had it poured, downed, and was on her second cup. Deciding to let this one last, she held it between both hands as she went to join Ash at the videophone. She was busy trying to tap in a phone number, and she reached over his shoulder and pressed a single button. The screen immediately flickered on, the Professor standing before their eyes.

Ash gaze her an odd look over his shoulder, and she shrugged. "Speed dial, Ash. Get with the ages."

With a roll of his eyes, Ash turned back to the videophone. "You wished to speak with me, Professor Oak?"

Professor Oak had been May's old high school teacher back in her hometown. He had always been her favorite teacher, and she had shared almost everything with him. Including her ideas and obsession with the darker things in life. He'd been interested, and when she had set out she had promised to keep in touch. She'd done so, and Ash had come to learn Professor Oak could be a powerful ally when needed.

He was smart and knew almost everything about Pokemon. He'd studied them since he was a kid, his hero, oddly enough, being Cecil Ketchum. Once May had introduced Ash, making him promise not to tell anyone, Oak had started asking question upon question about his father's work. As painful as it had been, Ash answered his questions as best he could, and once he had gotten to know the man better, he'd sent out old papers of Cecil's that he'd kept after his death.

Right now, Oak was busily researching information for Ash, keeping him up to date with every move the enemy was making. This is how he had found out about the scrolls, and where he would find them

"Ah, yes, Ash," the old man's image smiled, "I phoned earlier to talk to May, but she seemed pretty preoccupied. I did manage to get a bit of last night's story out of her, however, and I thought it best I let you rest. How are you feeling?"

Ash frowned, shifting uncomfortably. He'd lived alone for years, and although May was constantly talking he still found it hard communicating with others. "I'm okay, I guess." He checked, as if to make sure. Looking down, he lifted his shirt and pulled at the bandages. The bleeding had stopped, and the wound was almost healed.

Thank God for vampire healing abilities, he thought, letting go of his shirt and returning his gaze to the screen before him. "I took a few hits, but the worst of the damage is disappearing. I doubt it will even leave a scar in the end."

"Well that's good news," Professor Oak nodded his head. "I was kind of worried after May's description."

"May tends to over exaggerate," Ash said in a slightly amused voice, earning a light smack in the head from the girl standing behind him.

"I do not!" She insisted, leaning in as she said in a low voice, "Ash just likes to put on his tough guy act."

At this, Professor Oak laughed. When he finally stopped, he asked, "So I take it you got the scrolls, then?"

"It all went according to plan," Ash informed him, "I followed the guy into an empty alley and managed to grab them before –"

"He killed the guy," May cut in, earning an irritated look from Ash. "What? It's not like you've never done it before, you know!"

Ash shook his head. He had taken many lives in his time, but it had only been in the last few centuries that he had stopped his brutal killing in favor of hunting down his enemies. He did not like to be reminded of his past, especially the more horrific details. "I just don't-"

Once again, May finished for him, patting him on the back. "Like killing, I know. But hey, you're reformed now! You only hunt down and kill the bad guys!"

Professor Oak coughed lightly at that moment, turning their attention back to the matters on hand. "I'd like to know what the scrolls said," he voiced.

"Of course!" May stood up, stretching her arms and pulling at the red and white bandana that she wore on her head before she went across the room the retrieve the papers.

"Actually Professor," Ash glanced at May as she approached, "We really don't know what they say. They're in a language that not even May can read. She was up all night trying to translate it, and so far she's only managed to get one letter."

Oak looked confused, one brow raised as he said, "That's odd. I taught May myself, and I know all there is about ancient languages. This one must be very old, if it is not in my books."

May took up her place behind Ash, unrolling the scroll in her hand. Turning it around, she faced it so that the Professor could read. On the screen, his eyes narrowed as he squinted, trying to decipher the language on the old paper.

"I must say, this truly baffles me." He finally said.

"May's working hard on translating it," Ash told him, "Until then, we have to keep a look out. The enemy is near, they may try to take it back at any time."

Professor Oak visibly bit his lip, realization setting in as something dawned on him. "I remember now!" He said loudly, and for a moment both Ash and May froze, looking confused as they stared at the screen. "I had new information for you, Ash!"

Ash sat forward in interest. "What kind of information?"

"A lead on where you can find…"

"Geovanni," Ash finished, and for a moment his eyes glinted golden with rage. Just the thought of that man drove him mad.

Professor Oak hesitated, waiting until Ash had calmed down somewhat. "Yes, I have a lead on Geovanni's lair. I'm not sure about the source, but it sounds like somewhere you'd find a nest of vampires."

"Where is it?" Ash asked quickly, already getting up from his seat. He planned on getting his jacket, waking up Pikachu, grabbing his gun and going after the fucker who had condemned him to hell! However, he felt May's hands on his shoulders as she forced him to sit.

"Cool it, Ash!" She scolded, and keeping a firm grip on him.

"May's right," Oak agreed, "This isn't going to be a simple mission. If the lead was right, then you'll be heading into a nest full of powerful vampires and Pokemon. Geovanni will be waiting for you – he knows that you're out to kill him. You can't go in there alone."

"What do you suggest then?" Ash snapped irritably. He had no time for this – Geovanni was waiting for him.

"Take someone with you." Professor Oak all but ordered.

"I have to do this alone!"

The fingers digging into his shoulders, holding him down, suddenly disappeared as he heard May's soft voice, "Ash, you've been alone long enough. You said I could help you, and I plan on doing that. Please, just take someone with you, so that I know you'll be alright."

Ash looked at her for a moment, before looking away. "Fine." His eyes returned to the screen, "Who are you sending, Professor Oak?"

"Only the best," Oak smirked in reply.

Ash moaned. "Don't tell me…"

"My grandson."

Ash covered his face with his hands, letting them slip down until he could see again. "You're making me work with Gary again? Do you remember what happened last time?"

Professor Oak winced slightly. "Yes, I remember all right. I know that you and Gary don't get along the greatest, but you and him are an unbeatable team when you work together."

Ash sat in silence for a moment, his anger burning deep within. The last time he and Gary had worked together, they'd managed to bring a whole building down on top of them. It was a miracle they'd both survived! And now he was being forced to work with that arrogant bastard again?

He looked at May, who was still kneeling beside him, gazing up at him as she waiting for his reply.

"Fine," he finally answered them. "I'll do it."

"I'll be sending him over late tonight. Be sure to make your plans and get ready. This isn't going to be an easy mission."

"Let's hope this lead is the real deal," Ash mumbled as Oak waved goodbye and the screen went blank. With a sigh he sank down in his chair, closing his eyes as he massaged his aching head. He'd finally gotten a lead on Geovanni, and now he'd been conned into taking Gary with him. Life wasn't fair.

"Just think of it this way, Ash," May said as she stood. "Now you have someone to look out for your back, in case this is an ambush."

"Gary's more likely to shoot me in the back than the enemy is," Ash muttered, rising out of the chair. "I'd better go get Pikachu; load up my gun and all that."

May rolled her eyes. Ash spent more time cleaning that damned gun than he did taking care of his Pokemon – and that was a lot, considering he took very good care of his Pokemon.

"I'll be in my room."

May watched him as he left, staring after him even as he disappeared into his room. This was it – Geovanni was close; this was the moment Ash had been waiting for most of his un-life. The chance to kill Geovanni, who had killed both his father and himself – the man who killed the innocent, even today, and had many people, Pokemon, and vampires alike working for him.

The question was though, would Ash be able to do what he had set out to do all those years ago? Would he kill Geovanni? But the main question floating through May's head was:

_Would he survive the upcoming battle?_

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter Three

Creatures of the Night

Chapter Three

By Crow Skywalker

-----

Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon, nor do I claim to. Characters belong to their creators, I'm just borrowing them for my own fun.

Author's Notes – Sorry this update is late – I've been trying to do an update each week. But if anyone hasn't noticed, I've been re-writing my other Pokemon fic, _The Power of One : The Continuation_. But yeah, I managed to finally get this chapter written. It was another hard one to write, because it was all talk and no action. Don't worry though, the next chapter will be action packed. And hey, you'll even get to meet some…old friends, shall we call them? evil laughter Heheheh..heh…yeah. When I originally planned this chapter out, Max was not in it. He got added in because I have to have so many words each chapter, and without that scene this chapter would have been shorter than expected. It still is a lot shorter than I'd planned, but I can't help that shrugs. Anyway, hope you all enjoy.

Other Notes – AU. Rated R for dark and sexual themes, blood, violence and all that good stuff. Can't have a vampire fic without it, now can I? Normally I would put the pairings here too, but I feel that it would ruin the story/plot. You've been warned.

Summary – During the day, Celadon City is full of people and pokemon alike. At night, they aren't the only ones roaming the streets.

-----

Pikachu yawned, its ears swirling to one side as he heard a noise. The small electric Pokemon paid it no attention, its small nose telling him that it was only Ash, nothing to be alarmed about. With a soft purr the yellow Pokemon rolled over and stretched his paws, enjoying the feel of the soft silk bed sheets through its fur. It sighed in content, snuggling back into the bed.

"Have I ever told you that you're quite impossible in the mornings?" Ash's voice sounded through the Pokemon's sleep filled head. "I've never seen anyone quite as lazy as you."

Pikachu snorted, opening one eye as it stared up at Ash, who was sitting on the edge of the bed. There was a small lamp lit on the desk, just barely lighting up the room. Ash had his back turned to him, but Pikachu already knew what his master was up to.

You clean that thing way too much, Pikachu yawned, sitting up enough that it could scratch its ear like a dog. That done, Pikachu started forward, opening and closing its mouth noisily as it tried to get the awful morning taste to go away.

"Here," Ash suddenly handed the Pokemon an apple, which Pikachu took delightfully.

Taking a bite out of the red ripe fruit, Pikachu sat back using its tail to keep it up straight, and watched as Ash continued to clean his gun in silence. Pikachu watched him, one ear tilted thoughtfully as it munched on the apple.

**What's the occasion?**

"Got a lead," Was Ash's simple reply.

Pikachu's jaw stopped moving, and he stared up at his master with large eyes. **Geovanni?**

"Geovanni." He confirmed.

The apple fell to the floor forgotten as Pikachu stood on all fours, taking a step forward so that he could see Ash's eyes beneath his long ebony bangs. **You're planning on going after him, aren't you?**

"Of course."

You're taking me. It wasn't a request, it was a demand.

"No," Ash answered, not looking up from what he was doing, "You're staying here with May. I don't want anything to happen to you."

**And I don't want anything to happen to you!**

Ash glanced up, his face frozen in a 'don't argue with me' look, though his eyes showed otherwise. "Pikachu, you know what's going to happen when –"

I want to go. Pikachu was practically on Ash's lap now, one small paw against Ash's chest as he looked up into Ash's eyes, pleading with his own. He really wanted to be there for his master when he faced his greatest enemy. They'd been together so long, and through so much – he wanted to be there when it finally came to an end.

"Gary's going," Ash muttered, laying his silver gun down on the bed. He had hoped to change the subject, afraid that if Pikachu kept its begging up then he would finally cave in. No, Pikachu would be much better off left at home with May. He'd feel a lot better going into the final battle knowing that his best friend was safe.

Pikachu gave a small huff, sitting back on the edge of the bed as it narrowed his eyes at Ash. **You'll take him and not me?**

"May and Professor Oak insisted upon it," Said Ash, looking down at the cloth he's used to clean his gun in his hands. Furrowing his brows, he suddenly scrunched it up and tossed it over his shoulder. It landed somewhere behind him without a sound, and he stood from the bed. "It's not like I wanted to work with that asshole!"

If Gary's going, you have all the more reason to take me! Pikachu jumped down from the bed, following after Ash as his master headed for the door of the room.

"We're not heading out until tomorrow night," Ash reached for the handle and turned it. "Please, just do as I say."

The living room was dark, the only light coming from May's computer screen as she worked. If Ash hadn't had advanced vision, he probably would have tripped over the couch and tables as he made his way around the maze to where May was busily working. She was once again engrossed in her work, and she didn't seem to notice him standing behind her. He clicked on the lamp next to her chair.

"Haven't I ever told you that staring at that screen in the dark is bad for you?" He asked, watching out of the corner of his eye as Pikachu jumped up on the couch. The small Pokemon gave him a withering glare and curled up in a sulky ball, refusing to look at its master.

"A thousand times," May tilted her study glasses down her nose as she looked up at Ash, grinning. "But do I ever listen?"

"No." Ash rolled his eyes, leaning over her shoulder when she turned back to her work. It looked like she had made a bit more progress with translating the scrolls, but he still wasn't sure what any of it meant. "Any news on when Gary's going to show?"

"You know him," May replied, her fingers dancing over the keyboard as she typed, "He's probably going to make an entrance. He'll wait until you start to get mad at him for being late, and then he'll casually stroll in through that door."

"I hate when he does that," Ash muttered under his breath, standing behind May so that both hands were planted on the back of her seat.

May laughed quietly. "That's why he does it."

"So is there anything new that I should be told about?" Ash asked, tilting his head in the direction of the scrolls. He was tired of talking about his 'rival', as May put it. He knew Gary would show up at some point, probably mouthing off and being as arrogant as he usually was.

"Yeah, I managed to translate the letter after the 'o'. Turns out this little symbol," she pointed to the scroll, "Is a 'n'." Her nose suddenly scrunched up as she gave him a frustrated look. "It doesn't give me much at all. The only other 'n' in this is in the last word, whatever _that_ is. However, I'm going to have a wild guess that the first word is 'one'."

Ash took the scroll, raising a brow as he studied it. "Seems like a good guess to me."

"You hungry?" May asked suddenly, and Ash gave her a funny look as he handed the scroll back to her. She blushed, "It's just that I haven't eaten all day, and I figured I'd go out and get some take out or something."

"You now that –"

"Yes, Ash, you're a vampire," she finished for him, "But I've seen you down human food just as good as my brother, and that's saying a lot."

Ash looked at her in amusement. "Well then the proper way to ask would have been, 'would you like some food?' not 'are you hungry?'. To me, they're two entirely different things."

"I'll try to remember that." She was standing now, her chair pushed back and her work momentarily forgotten. Striding across the room, she grabbed her long dark red jacket off the coat rack. When she was half way through getting it on, she suddenly glanced over at Ash, who hadn't moved. "Do you think I should pick up something for Gary as well?"

"I'd let him starve." Ash replied, sitting in May's comfortable chair. He ignored the glare she shot him.

"Well that's why I'm not you. What do you think he'd like?"

"Chinese," came a male voice from behind her, causing May to jump. Both May and Ash stared at the man standing in the doorway, neither of them having heard him open the door. "Stir fry and that rice I like," he stated, and he walked into the apartment without being asked.

"Gary." Ash acknowledged him coldly.

Gary swept a stand of long unruly brown hair out of his face, looking at Ash with an equally cold expression. "Ash," he nodded, but said nothing else to the other man. Instead, much to Ash's annoyance, Gary turned back to May and grabbed her hand, kissing the back of it. "May, long time no see."

May blushed, bringing her other hand up to her hot face as Gary grinned up at her, not letting go of her hand. "Well uhm, Gary…it's nice to see you again, too."

Gary finally let go, straightening up as he continued to ignore Ash. "Likewise." His expression turned thoughtful, his gaze moving over her slowly. "You look nice," he commented, and May thought her face was going to catch fire.

"T-thanks."

"May, don't you have somewhere to go?" Ash finally asked, snapping the girl out of it. The girl glanced back at him, her mouth falling open slowly.

"I almost forgot!" She smiled at Gary then, asking, "Chinese, is it?" Gary nodded, and she wrapped her jacket closer around her as she stepped out of the apartment. "I'll be back soon!" She called, and then she was gone.

Gary closed the apartment door, and without a word he shrugged off his navy blue jacket and set it on the coat hanger. That done, he settled himself down on the couch, making himself at home. From where Pikachu was curled up, the Pokemon gave a small hiss in the brown haired man's direction, sending him a glare as sparks emitted from its small red cheeks.

"Easy, Pikachu." Ash muttered, sending the small Pokemon a look that said 'don't even try it'. Pikachu mumbled something before jumping off of the couch and scampering a comfortable distance away from Gary. Turning around, the electric mouse stuck out his small red tongue before disappearing into one of the apartment rooms.

"So, Gary," Ash started, watching as the other man studied his nails, looking almost bored, "Did Oak fill you in?"

Gary snorted. "Of course. I knew before you did, actually." He sent Ash a smirk, "The perks of having a famous Pokemon researcher for a grandfather."

"Then you know that we'll be leaving tomorrow at sunset?" Ash asked him, leaning back in May's favorite chair.

"Yes. Though if it weren't for you, I'd be leaving first thing in the morning."

Ash frowned. "We need the time to prepare."

"What's there to do?" Gary asked, making himself even more comfortable on the couch. Kicking off his muddy boots onto May's nice hardwood floor, he put his feet up on the couch and sat back so that he was almost lying on the couch. "I brought everything that I need."

"You brought your Pokemon, a decent gun, and every other thing that we might need to sneak into a building?" Ash asked, raising a disbelieving brow.

Gary waved one hand. "Don't sweat it Ashy boy, I brought my most powerful Pokemon and my favorite hand gun. This isn't going to be a big operation, you know. It's going to be super easy to get in, beat the shit out of a few people, kill Mr. Badass and get out of there."

Ash sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You mean you only brought one Pokemon and one gun?" He shook his head, "I can't believe you!"

Gary gave him another arrogant snort. "You worry too much. I brought Arcanine – one Fire Spin from that puppy, and the whole building will go up in flames!"

"Don't be so sure of that."

"Hmph," Gary scowled at him, "And what Pokemon are you taking?"

"None of them." Ash answered, turning around the chair so that he was side on to his rival. "I'm leaving them with May, just in case."

"Well get off my case then!" Gary snapped, putting his arms behind his head. "Here you are talking about how I only brought my toughest Pokemon and a gun, and you're not even taking any! You're such a hypocrite!"

Ash felt like smacking the smirk off of Gary's face, or at least punching him so that he would shut up. There was a _reason_ he wasn't bringing any Pokemon, though Gary really didn't need to know what that reason was. It would only be something else that the other man would constantly bring up and try to use against him. It was bad enough that Gary was always bringing up the vampire stuff and shoving it in his face!

With a growl, Ash got to his feet and started towards the kitchen. "I can't believe they talked me into working with him," he mumbled to himself, "He's only been here for five minutes and he's got me frustrated to hell!" His voice got loudly as he neared the end of that sentence, and from where he lay on the couch, Gary grinned.

"Hey vamp boy!" Gary called out, sitting up, "While you're in there, toss me a can of drink, will ya?"

He looked up just in time to see a can of Coke flying at his head. With one fast movement he grabbed it before it hit him, and sent Ash a glare accompanied by his famous smirk, knowing that it would absolutely piss the other man off.

Ash growled out loud, and Gary couldn't help but snicker.

-----

The smell of cooked food and grease assaulted May's nose as she entered her favorite Chinese take out restaurant, the small bell above jingling as the door opened and closed. It was a small place, build into the corner of Third Street, not too far away from she lived. Not many people went there, but the food was still good and May was a regular guest.

Leaning on the counter, May peered around looking for someone to serve her. There was an old couple in a booth near the window, but she could see no one else. Finally, she reached across the counter and pressed on the small bell that had a small note reading 'Press for service' leaning against it.

"Hey Max! You gonna serve me today or tomorrow?" She called, looking in through the small window behind the counter and trying to see if there was any movement. A young man with bluish black hair appeared a moment after, shaking his head at May through the small window.

"May," He sighed, leaning on the window ledge, "What brings you here at this hour?"

May pouted. "Is that any way to treat your older sister?" She suddenly grinned, opening her arms, "Come on!"

"I'm not coming out there to hug you," said Max, "I'm too old to be treated like a little kid."

"Well I'm older than you, therefore you're still a little kid in my eyes!" May said impatiently, "So either you come out, or I'm coming in there!"

Max groaned, finally giving in. When he had followed May to Celadon City, he hadn't expected her to stay so long. She'd been living there a few months before he can to visit, and after seeing her and being showed around town, he had decided to stay for a while. He hadn't trust Ash, after all, and he figured that it would be better if he stayed, just to keep an eye out for May.

Never had he ever expected to spend his time working in a fast food Chinese restaurant. But he had insisted on having his own apartment, and would not take money from May or their father, who was a Gym Leader. No, he wanted to make his own money and live on his own, and he'd landed himself a job at Wong's Chinese Take Out. Now, almost a year later, he was _still_ working there.

Stepping around the corner and past the counter, he was greeted by May, who hugged him tightly. "How's my little brother?"

"Same as always," he answered, and she pulled away to look at him.

"You got a girlfriend yet?" She winked at him. She loved teasing him; watching as his face reddened.

"No." He pushed his glasses up his nose, trying to hide his blush, "I never get time to go out, so I never meet any girls."

May patted his shoulder reassuringly. "You'll find one some day, don't worry about it!"

"Is that why you're here?" Max asked, "To ask me about my non existing love life?"

May gave him a thoughtful look before shaking her head with a smile. "No, just here to order something for me and the boys."

"Boys?" Max asked her, one brow raised. He knew about her living with Ash, but he'd never known there was more than one guy! When did this happen?

"Gary's staying the night," May answered his question, and Max made an 'oohh' sound and nodded his head. He knew Gary through Professor Oak; he seemed like a pretty nice fellow. "They've got a mission tomorrow night."

Max frowned. "You're staying home, right?" He did not approve of Ash and everything else that went on concerning the man. He especially didn't want May caught up in the battles that seemed to always find Ash. If something happened to May, he didn't know what he would do!

May rolled her eyes. "Of course! I never get to go out and do stuff like that! He's the muscle man, I'm the brainy girl. I don't do violence and gun shooting."

Her brother shook his head, reaching for a note pad and pencil. "What ever happened to the good old days when you wanted to travel and enter Pokemon contests?" he mumbled. "At least then I'd know you were somewhat safe and I wouldn't be so worried all the time."

"Hey!" Ash protects me," May protested, "He'd never let anything bad happen to me!"

Max decided to change the subject before May got upset. "What did you want to order, anyway?"

May leaned backwards against the counter and started counting off all the things that she wanted. Max wrote them all down, and when they were finally finished he ripped the paper off the note pad and calling out to the chef, he handed the paper off to be made. During this time, the elderly couple finished eating and got up and left, leaving May and Max to talk alone.

"How're you paying for all that food, anyway?" Max asked, coming back to stand by his sister. "It's not like you have a real job."

May grinned, taking a credit card out of her pocket. "I'm not paying for it – Daddy is!"

"You make Dad pay for everything – food, books, your apartment.."

"Well he's a Gym Leader…what's the point of having a Gym Leader for a father if you don't use all of his money?"

Max couldn't help but smile. "How is he, anyway? Have you talked to him recently?"

"He's the same as always," May kicked at imaginary dust on the floor, "Busy and all that."

"He was really hoping you'd stay behind and train to become the next Gym Leader, you know."

May sighed, looking up at the ceiling as she leaded back on the counter further. "I know…I just couldn't stay there any longer, you know? I had to get out and do things on my own. I _wanted_ to travel and everything, but fate lead me here." She kicked at the floor again, gazing up at him from behind long brown hair that had fallen from the handkerchief on her head. "You could have stayed, you know."

"I know." Max looked away, "But I chose to follow you, to make sure you were safe."

May gave him a weak smile. "My place is here, Max. You need to go out there and find your own life. I'm fine where I am." She lifted a hand, messing up his neatly combed hair. "There's no need to worry about me."

Silence followed as Max searched for something to say for that. It was true, he really did need to go off on his own and find his own life. He definitely wasn't going to find it here in the Chinese take out. Somewhere out there, he was going to find his own adventure, much like May had managed to do. But, looking up at his sister who was smiling at him, he decided to wait a little longer. His life could wait, he still wanted to make sure his sister was going to be alright.

"Order's done!" Came a gruff voice from inside the kitchen, and someone pushed two big paper bags onto the paper ledge. Max made his way over to get them, handing them to May over the counter. She took them in one arm, using the other to swipe the credit card and pay for the food. That done, she gave her little brother one last smile.

"See you soon, okay?"

"See you next time you're craving Chinese," he joked.

May grinned, shifting the bags as she opened the door. The bell rung overhead once again.

"Take care!" Max called after her, and she was greeted by the cold air when she stepped out onto the sidewalk.

The walk home took less than five minutes, the elevator taking up most of that time. When she finally got to the door, she struggled to get the keys out of her pocket so that she could unlock the door. If there was one thing she'd learned since moving to Celadon, it was to always keep the door locked, no matter what.

"Ash! Can you please open the door?" She called loudly, giving up her search. She knew that if Ash was awake then he'd hear her, and hopefully he and Gary hadn't killed each other yet.

A moment later the door opened, and Ash's dark eyes were staring at her. She shoved both paper bags of food into his arms and strode into her apartment, taking off her jacket and finding a place to hang it up on the rack.

"I see you two haven't killed each other yet," she commented as she looked from Ash to Gary.

Ash closed to door with his foot, making his way towards the kitchen. "I was tempted to."

May followed after him with an amused smile, motioning for Gary to follow as she passed him. The brown haired man got up from the couch and took one last drink of Coke before he crunched it up using one hand. He threw it in the garbage as he passed it.

"Ash couldn't hurt a fly," Gary laughed as he took a seat at the table. "Especially me. If he ever tried anything with me, I'd pound his face in."

"Pound my face in, huh?" Ash suddenly bared his teeth, his sharp fangs glinting in the light. Gary backed away, and Ash smirked, making sure his fangs were still visible. _That's right you bastard, I know you're scared of the darker side of me!_

"Ash!" May scolded from the table, looking up from the food she was taking out of the bags. He glanced at her and realized she was giving him her 'stop it, this is me getting really mad' glare, and finally walked past Gary and into the kitchen, taking a seat.

May sighed and shook her head. _Boys!_

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter Four

Creatures of the Night

Chapter Four

By Crow Skywalker

-----

Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon, nor do I claim to. Characters belong to their creators, I'm just borrowing them for my own fun.

Author's Notes –  Err…this actually turned out a lot longer than expected, but oh well. I hope the battle scene isn't too bad – I did try my best. Anyway, I would like to thank everyone who's reviewed and told me this is a good fic and so on. It means a lot to me, and I hope you'll continue to enjoy the fic as it goes on :)

Other Notes – AU. Rated R for dark and sexual themes, blood, violence and all that good stuff. Can't have a vampire fic without it, now can I? Normally I would put the pairings here too, but I feel that it would ruin the story/plot. You've been warned.

Summary – During the day, Celadon City is full of people and pokemon alike. At night, they aren't the only ones roaming the streets.

-----

They stared out the windshield, heads ducked as they looked over the building just inside the chain linked fence a few feet away from the parked car. It was large, obviously used as some sort of factory in the past. Now, however, it seemed to be an empty warehouse that no one had entered in years. It hadn't been taken care of properly, and even in the darkness of the night one could see the broken windows, the peeling paint, and the roof of the building looked like it was about to collapse in on itself. Anyone would have to be crazy to enter such a place.

"Let's go." Came Gary's harsh whisper from the passenger's seat of the car, and the brown haired man reached for the door handle. Ash immediately grabbed him, his eyes flashing red in the darkness of the car, clearly a warning.

"We can't just waltz in there without a plan," Ash told him in an equally quiet voice, his fingers still digging into the sleeve of Gary's jacket.  When the man shifted under his painful grip, Ash finally let go.

"I have a plan!" Gary smirked with a wink, grabbing something from his belt. He brought forth his gun, its shiny surface reflecting the moonlight coming in through the front windshield. Closing one eye, he pointed it towards Ash, his finger coming up to play with the trigger. Ash watched him, bemused, as the other man smirked, made a clicking noise with his mouth, and moved the gun upwards as if he had just fired.

"Your plan consists of just running in there and shooting up the place," Ash said dryly, reaching out to shove Gary's gun away from his face. He had no time for the other man's silly games right now, especially when the enemy was so near. He was so _close_ to ending all of this!

"What's wrong with that?" Gary frowned.

Ash ran his hands through his long ebony locks in an irritated gesture. Once again, he questioned how he had let May and Professor Oak talk him into bringing his rival with him on this mission. Gary was impossible to work with! He didn't follow orders, didn't make plans, and he relied on his gun too much!

"Because this isn't a normal mission, Gary!" Ash frowned at him in the darkness, "That," he pointed out the passenger side window, "Is an old building, and I plan on leaving it the way it is. No burning it down, shooting the roof off, or whatever you usually do! This is serious! We need a plan to get in there, okay? If this is the place, then it's going to be loaded with vampires and only God knows what."

For once, Gary was quiet for a moment, and he nodded in agreement. "Fine. A plan to get in, huh? Well that's done easily enough." He knocked a pair of glasses that had been sitting on his head down onto his face, using his index finger to slide them up the bridge of his nose. He squinted through the glasses for a few minutes, leaving Ash to stare at him in wonderment.

Finally, he asked, "What are you doing?"

Gary glanced at him with his trademark smirk. "These are a new invention of Gramp's. They're night vision goggles, without the bulk. He calls them Night Shades; they come in pretty handy. When we enter that building, I'll actually be able to see what we're doing."

"That's nice and all," Ash rolled his eyes, "But what are you looking at?"

Gary didn't answer at first. Instead, he looked out the window one last time before he reached up and took the shades off his face, perching them back up on his head in their original place. "There's no guards," he finally stated.

Ash furrowed his eyebrows. "What?"

"The doors – they're not being guarded." Gary spoke again, flashing Ash an annoyed look.

Ash frowned, looking for himself. With his enhanced vision he could see the entrance perfectly, despite the distance and the darkness of the night. Gary was right, there was no guard at all. "They're probably waiting for us."

"Well then, let's not keep them waiting!" Gary grinned, and once again he made a grab for the door handle. This time Ash wasn't quick enough to stop him, and Gary was out of the car in a blink of an eye, his dark clothes molding him into the darkness.

Ash swore under his breath, bringing his own gun from his belt and getting out on his side of the car. He made sure the door closed behind him without much noise, and looking around he searched for Gary. He found the other man already walking towards the entrance, in plain sight of anyone who might see him. Ash growled, a low rumbling noise deep in his throat, as he followed the other man, his eyes narrowed in anger and frustration.

It was cold out, despite the fact that it was late Spring and Summer was almost on its way. Ash paid no attention to this, though he knew the bitter cold bothered Gary. That was one reason why Gary had chosen to wear such a warm coat; his layered leather jacket that he usually wore during the Winter season. Ash, on the other hand, had chosen to stick with his usual outfit, which consisted mainly of black clothing, accompanied by a long black leather duster. If it weren't for the whiteness of his face and hands, he would have blended in with the night. Tonight, however, was a full moon, making it next to impossible to do so.

Looking up, Ash frowned as he took the sight in. The pale white moon hung low in the sky at its fullest, lighting up the earth as if there were streetlights above him. To Ash, the full moon was nothing to be taken lightly – he had died during a full moon, after all – but usually a full moon was something to dread. The nasties of the night often showed themselves more frequently during these few rare days of the month. This was what worried him.

Dropping his gaze, he studied Gary as the other man held up his gun, his glasses now down on his eyes once again. Gary usually had his gun up, waving it around just in case something snuck up on him, so this was nothing new. Ash caught up to him as he stopped outside the front entrance, his gun in one hand as he looked over the large metal door.

With a grin, Gary turned to him. "Wanna do the honors?"

"Not particularly."

The grin melted, and a frown replaced it. Even with the shades on, Ash knew the other man was glaring at him. "Do it anyways."

"I meant what I said, Gary – we just can't barge in there!" Ash tried to tell him again, but it was no use. Gary was already searching his pockets for a light, TNT of some sort held in his empty hand and his gun in the other. With a sigh of frustration, Ash marched forward and pushed Gary out of the way. "Fine, I'll do it."

Ash shifted his duster, gripping his gun tightly in one hand as the night breeze picked up. In one fast movement he kicked out at the door, his jacket billowing around him as his foot connected with the old metal. The door caved in, flying backwards into the darkness of the building.

"Good job Ashy-boy," Gary muttered quietly as he passed the vampire, "Next time just wake the whole building up with your loud door kicking skills!"

Ash glared at Gary's back, shifting his gun to his right hand as he entered the old abandoned human structure. His eyes immediately adjusted to the lack of light inside, and he saw Gary standing not too far away.

"What's wrong, Gary? Afraid of the dark?" Ash mused, and before he knew it, Gary had his gun aimed at him once again.

"Fuck you, Ketchum!" The other man hissed, bringing his empty hand up to his face as his toyed with his glasses, "I just need to adjust these. I didn't think it would be pitch black in here. Can't they turn on the lights?"

"Vampires don't need light," Ash muttered as he passed Gary, his boots making soft clicking noises on the hard floor.

"Hmph," Gary snorted behind him, muttering something that sounded like 'you would know' before he stopped picking at his glasses and followed after Ash into the darkness.

It seemed the main entrance lead into a small room that must have once been where the receptionist probably worked. In the corner of the room was an old desk, its drawers long emptied and spilled out onto the floor. As Ash looked around the room, he realized that teenagers had broken into the building at some point, because vulgar language and images had been spray painted on the walls.

"Nice decorating," Gary commented from beside him. "Think the vampires did it?"

Ash sniffed the air, taking in the musty smell of the old room. "No, it's so old even I can't smell it anymore."

There was a clicking noise as Gary lowered his gun, and from the corner of his eye Ash could see Gary looking in his direction. "You know," Gary began, "I'm beginning to think that this was a false lead. There's no guards, and no sign of any vampires.  What's the deal?"

Ash closed his eyes, taking in another deep breath. There was a moment of silence before he replied, "Oh, they're here."

Gary's gun was instantly up again as he pointed it in every direction, turning around and causing dust to rise from the floor. "Where are they?"

"They're waiting," Ash replied quietly.

"For what?"

"For us to find them."

Gary snorted, smiling as he lowered his gun slightly. "I see. Cowards. How many are there?"

"I can't tell," Ash admitted, "The smell of dust is blocking most of the smell. All I know is that there's been vampires here, and recently at that."

"Think it's him?"

"It could be."

"Well then," Gary headed off to the right where the room led off into a hall, "Let's play in their game of cat and mouse, just for a while." He turned to Ash and flashed him a grin, "Then we'll blow their heads off."

"Somehow I don't think its going to be that easy," Ash answered, but Gary had already disappeared. He sighed and shook his head – that man was hard to keep track of. His coat sliding across the dusty floor and causing the dust to take to the air, Ash followed after Gary down the hall.

Pictures and boxes – that's what mainly filled the hall. On either side of him hung old broken pictures, mainly pictures of things such as sunsets and ocean beaches. Some had fallen off their hooks and had crashed to the floor while others hung sideways, covered in old spray paint. On the ground, old boxes were laid here and there, most of them torn apart and their contents spelled all over the floor. Many of them had the corners eat away, a sure sign that mice had gotten into them.

Bending down, Ash lifted an old magazine from one of the many piles and lifted it, flipping the front page open. _1983, Saffron City_. Ash almost laughed out loud. _I was still roaming Viridian City back then._

"Hey fang head…stop reading porno and get your ass over here!" Gary's voice came from somewhere down the hall, and Ash scowled. He let the magazine fall to the floor and walked passed the boxes, careful not to trip over any of them. He found Gary bent down, hovering over something.

"What is it?"

"Footprint of some sort." Gary moved out of the way so that Ash could take a look, "What do you think?"

Ash bent down, taking up Gary's spot as he studied the footprint in the dark hall, moonlight filtering in from a single window. The footprint was wide and long, the print making wavy lines in the dust. Ash put a finger down to it, rubbing his it across it and then lifting that finger to his nose. "Man's shoe, I can tell that much from the print. It has no traces of its owner's scent, however…just the usual rubber smell." He stood, wiping his hand in his duster.

"I don't care about that stuff," Gary snapped, "What I want to know is, is it recent?"

"Yes."

They moved on, leaving the hall to open a door off to the side. It was empty, except for some sort of plant growing up the side of the wall and a large filing cabinet that had fallen over and was now lying face down in the middle of the room. A large window, which had the glass broken out of it, let moonlight in to shine down on the floor, which was littered with old faded papers.

The next room they came across, just a few feet down the hall and to the left, was empty. It looked like more of a storage closet than anything else – with no window, desk or any other object to tell that it had once been a room. However, that could have possibly been because the floor had caved in at some point, and while Ash was curious, he was not willing to go to the edge of the hole to have a look.

They moved on, opening every door that they came to until it seemed like they had checked every room there was. Frustrated, Gary pounded his fist against the wall, his gun making an odd noise as it hit cement and jip rock.

"We've been looking for almost an hour, and we still haven't found anything!"

Ash tilted his head, frowning at his rival. It was true, they hadn't found one thing besides that footprint, and like Gary, he was beginning to get quite frustrated. "They have to be here somewhere – we have to keep looking."

"We've looked everywhere!"

Ash stood silently for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. "This building is huge on the outside, meaning it definitely has more than one floor. Besides, we haven't even come to the factory or storage area yet. There must be some sort of staircase here somewhere. Keep searching."

They continued on their way, searching every dark corner and every room. Finally they came across a door that looked promising, and opening it up, Ash found two sets of stairs – one heading down, the other heading up.

_So there's three doors,_ Ash leaned against the doorway. This would mean..

"We have to split up," Gary said before it could even register in Ash's mind. Ash glanced at the other man.

"Up or down?"

Gary pushed past Ash, a smirk on his face. "I'll take downstairs."

Ash shrugged – it really didn't matter to him – and started up the metal staircase as Gary started down the other. After a few minutes of stepping up stairs, he finally came to a large room that had obviously been used for storage. It was totally empty and a big hole in the ceiling allowed the moonlight to shine in, casting a white glow on the duty floorboards.

Ash stepped into the room, his gun held in one hand and ready for action. There was something odd about this room, something about the smell of it that he didn't like. Sniffing the air, his eyes widened slightly in confusion.

_It smells familiar…almost like…_

A movement in the dark corner across the room, and Ash swung his gun in that direction, aiming at the shadows. The moonlight above made it a bit difficult to see in that direction, but Ash didn't need to see in order to know that he wasn't alone.

"Come out," He ordered, his voice echoing in the large room.

Another shift in the shadows, and two dark figures appeared as if they had emerged from the darkness itself. Ash narrowed his eyes, keeping his gun aimed at them as they came forward silently. When they stepped into the moonlight, however, and their faces were revealed, Ash couldn't help but hesitate.

"It's been a while, Ketchum." The figure on the left spoke, her voice feminine.

"Do you even remember who we are?" The other figure, obviously male, asked.

Ash lowered his gun, walking closer to them, but keeping his distance in the meantime. He knew these two figures very well – he had spent centuries with them, killing innocents and raiding villages. They had been the two of Geovanni's minions who had took him in, taught him the ropes and how to be a proper vampire. A long time ago, he had thought them to be his best friends.

"Jessie, James," he joined them in the moonlight, "How could I forget my favorite siblings?"

-----

_His father was dead, his mother had lost her mind having heard of her husband and son's dead and had been sent off to the asylum, and he'd been killed and was now one of _them_. Who wouldn't have been angry? Especially now that they had a dark craving for death and destruction flowing through their veins? Ash had been taken in by Geovanni that night – he hadn't known why he had let the vampire that had killed both he and his father take him, but at the time he was too shocked and confused to care._

_They ended up in an old house, long abandoned by its inhabitants. Geovanni had shoved Ash into a dark room down in the cellar, and he had stumbled to the floor. He stayed there, sitting on his knees, for what seemed like days. He didn't sleep, didn't eat, and the only time he moved was when he shifted back and forth on his knees hugging himself tightly. He spoke only to himself, mumbling in a quiet voice as he moved._

_He came out of his crazy like stupor three days later, the pain in his stomach driving him to stand and pace the room. He was hungry, the hungriest he remembered ever being, and he was growing frustrated. Angrily pounding on the door he yelled until someone came to get him._

_The door opened to reveal a man who couldn't have been much older than him, dressed in a dark suit. He had shoulder length purple hair and bright emerald eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. Ash stared at him silently, unsure of what to do or say._

_"Come," the man finally sai, and left the door open as he began to walk away. Ash stood there for a moment before deciding to follow, his eyes searching the small hallway outside his room as he trailed after the man in front of him._

_They met with a woman further down the hall, and Ash regarded her silently. She looked about the man's age and had long red hair, though that was about all he could tell about her. She didn't even glance at him, just joined the strange man before him as they walked._

_Going up a set of stairs, Ash found himself inside an empty house, which he didn't remember entering before. Perhaps it was because he was half crazed at the time, or he really hadn't cared when they had led him there. Now, he stood taking his surroundings in as the man and the woman walked across what seemed like the living room, talking quietly to someone Ash could not see._

_"Bring him here," A harsh voice sounded, and Ash's head snapped up. He knew that voice!_

_The purple haired man came back, tilting his head and signaling Ash to enter. Ash did as he told, though somewhat hesitantly. He was not eager to meet the man who had killed both he and his father. He found that man sitting near the biggest window in the room, staring out into the night._

_"I see you've finally snapped out of it," Geovanni commented, not bothering to look at Ash._

_Ash felt the anger burning inside him, but he said nothing._

_Geovanni__ laughed, a sound that would have sent shivers down any normal person's spine. "Your eyes burn with your frustration," he grinned, looking at the ebony haired man, "I can tell from the shade of red your eyes have turned that you are angry. Perhaps eating will help control such emotions?"_

_Ash clenched his fists at his sides, his eyes turning an even brighter shade of red, though he had no idea what Geovanni was talking about._

_"Jessie, James," Geovanni nodded them to them and they stepped forward, "Take our new addition to the family and teach him to hunt."_

_"Yes, Master," they both bowed, taking hold of Ash and leading him from the room._

_The night was young, and blood stained many cobble roads that night. Jessie and James hunted, and Ash learned as he watched, his stomach and nose driving him crazy as he watched Jessie and James dig their fangs into the necks of their victims, ripping their throats out and dining on the blood that flowed._

_"Go, Ketchum," Jessie had pushed him towards a homeless girl, and for a moment Ash could only stare at her curiously as she coward away from him, her eyes wide with fright._

Scared?_ He frowned, that frown suddenly turning into a wide grin as his eyes narrowed and his eyes glinting menacingly_, she's scared of me!__

_For once, Ash felt like he had power. People were scared of him – they would glance nervously as he passed, and when he went to hunt, they would scream and try to escape. He felt superior to these beings – their petty attempts to escape him made him laugh! Humans were weak, he was strong…and now, he had eternity to live his life, feeding off of their meaningless lives!_

_He caught the girl by the throat, and within seconds he had his fangs deep within the vein in her neck, and blood was flowing into his mouth like wine. And oh, the power it gave him! The thrill, the excitement of killing! He felt like he could do this forever!_

_Her blood drained, he threw her body to the cold damp ground, licking the last remains of her blood off his lips. Turning towards Jessie and James, he began to laugh, his eyes glowing hauntingly red in the darkness._

_And it would be like this_ forever_._

-----

"So you remember," James grinned, and suddenly it felt like old times, just the three of them together, talking about whatever they felt like. However, it was not meant to last.

"I figured you'd forgotten all about us, considering your newest mission is to destroy our Master." Jessie's tone of voice told Ash that she was not pleased with that fact, and all he could do was shrug.

"I'm guessing this was all planned, and Geovanni isn't here, is he?" Ash asked suddenly.

The other two vampires nodded, and James spoke, "We were sent here to kill you."

Ash tilted his head, giving them an amused look. "Do you plan on going through with that order?"

A gun was suddenly in Jessie's hand, and it was pointed at Ash's head. "You know that we have no choice, Ash."

Ash gave them a regretful smile, bringing his arms up. "Bring it on then."

The battle began even before Ash could swing his gun hand around to aim at them, and Ash saw a bullet whiz past his head. "Nice aim."

Jessie grit her teeth, "I won't miss next time!"

It seemed like the reunion was officially over and it was down to business. Somewhere between Jessie firing and Ash's comment, James had pulled out his own gun and was firing at Ash now as well. Ash was forced to take on the defensive, dodging bullets as fast as he could. James managed to hit him once in the shoulder, but he just barely got away from the rest.

Half closing one eye, Ash took aim and fired, rolling away from the flying bullets and taking aim once again as he got to his feet, always on the move. The first bullet he fired missed Jessie by inches, skimming by her hair and embedding itself into the wall far behind her.

Ash winced as another bullet flew past his ear. _Where the hell is Gary when I need him?_

As if on cue a bullet flew past Ash from behind, obviously not from either of the two vampires in front of him. It hit James in the stomach, but he didn't even look as if it had hurt him. Looking over his shoulder, Ash was relieved to find that Gary had finally arrived.

Gary walked slowly into the room, his gun trained on either of the two enemy vampires. "Checked downstairs, there's no one there." He shot Ash a smirk, "Thought you might need my help up here, though, Ashy boy."

James' eyes narrowed, "What's this, Ketchum? Hanging out with human scum these days, are we?"

Ash did not reply, raising his gun and firing at James once again. The battle continued like this, Ash taking on James as Gary took Jessie.

"I can't believe you, Ketchum! You left us to defend _humans_?" James scoffed, firing another shot. It flew past Ash, and Ash fired a shot of his own.

"I'd rather protect humans any day then to bow down to my _Master_." He spat the last word harshly in a disrespectful tone.

James kicked out at him, hoping to catch his hand and send Ash's gun flying. "He created you! Show respect! You should bow down to the most powerful vampire in the world!"

Ash grabbed James' foot, his gun tightly in his grip as he sent James flying backwards, firing shots at the other vampire as he fell. One hit James in the leg, but James was back on his feet within seconds.

"I bow down to no one!" Ash hissed as James fired and hit him close to his knee. Within seconds Ash was on his back, his feet having been swept out from underneath him. James grinned menacingly above him, gun aimed at Ash's heart. "I've made my own life!" Ash said through clenched teeth, kicking James in the leg right where he'd hit him with a bullet.

James staggered, giving Ash time to get back on his feet. With one quick kick Ash sent James' gun flying across the room and he aimed his own at James' head. From where Jessie was battling Gary came a startled cry, and Ash glanced up to see that she had stopped and was now staring at him with wide eyes. She quickly raised her gun and pointed it at Ash, but Gary was quicker. With a click Gary pulled the trigger and the bullet flew at Jessie, embedding itself in the arm she used to hold her gun. She cried up, dropping it to the floor and hugged her arm close to her.

"Jessie!" James tried to sit up to get to her, but Ash used his foot to press him back down to the ground. James' eyes glowed crimson in rage.

"You know I don't want to do this," Ash said quietly, "But you also know that I have no choice." His finger began to pull back on the trigger.

"No!" Jessie screamed, taking a step towards them. Gary locked his gun on her, forcing her to stay still.

James gave Ash an amused look, a smile forming on his lips before turning into a wide grin. Ash hesitated, wondering what was going through the other vampire's head. He watched as James lifted two fingers to his mouth, blowing on them and creating a whistling sound. Something was up – he kicked James in the side, causing the vampire to stop, but it seemed like it was too late. Something descended from above, and before he knew it he felt something rip through the flesh of his face and blood began to trickle to the floor. Ash staggered back in pain.

"Good job, Meowth," he heard James say, though Ash had his hands over his face and couldn't see what was happening.

Opening one eye, he ignored the blood flowing into it as he stared at the small cat like Pokemon that stood next to James, who was now standing. Ash cursed – he should have known that it wouldn't be so easy to defeat those two!

"Arcanine, go!" Gary's voice came from somewhere across the room and there was a swirl of heat as the massive fire dog appeared in the room. "If you're going to include Pokemon in this battle, then I might as well join in on the fun!"

The blood in his eyes was too much to bear, and sinking to his knees, Ash tried desperately to wipe it away. He had to be able to see! He couldn't lose to Jessie and James, not like this!

**Ash, where are you?**

Ash stopped rubbing at his face having heard the voice at the back of his head. **Pikachu****?**** Where are you? I told you to stay with May!**

Pikachu ignored his trainer's annoyance, instead answering**, I'm downstairs! I'll be up as soon as I find the stairs!**

Ash groaned, feeling the blood on his hands and wiping them in his duster. **Hurry.**

"Arcanine, take down!"

"Meowth, Scratch!" Then, Jessie and James threw out their own Pokeballs, "Weezing, go!" "Arbok, go!"

The ground trembled as the large Fire Pokemon ran towards the three opposing Pokemon, and Ash half wondered if the floor would hold. It was an old building, after all, and the floor had caved in in quite a few places already.

"Pikachu!" The small electric mouse yelled, running through the door and into the room to its master. Seeing the state of Ash, Pikachu immediately bristled. **Are you alright?**

**Yes, now go help Gary! Combine Thunder with Arcanine's Fire Spin and let's blow those idiots to kingdom come!** Outloud, he shouted to Gary, "Use Fire Spin!"

Gary hesitated, looking at his wounded partner. "Why?"

"Just do it!" yelled Ash.

Gary did as he was told for once, barking, "Fire Spin, Arcanine!"

The dog like Pokemon growled, taking a fighting stance before a string of fire blasted from its mouth at the enemy Pokemon and their masters. At the same time Pikachu leapt onto the fire Pokemon, hunching its shoulders as it yelled "Piiiikkkaaacchhuuu!!!" and sent a powerful Thunder attack at them as well. Both attacks seemed to mold with each other, becoming a strong fire/electric attack.

The blast hit Jessie, James and their Pokemon head on and they disappeared within the crackling flames just as the floor started to shake and crack. Above them, the roof gave way and fell, hitting the flames below and causing the floor to give way beneath them. Soon, there was nothing left but a hole where they had been standing and an even bigger hole in roof then there had been to begin with.

Arcanine snorted, sending a blast of hot air to the ground and disintegrating dust in the process. Without looking back, it went to Gary, who petted its side before recalling it back into its Pokeball. Pikachu hopped down before this, running to Ash as the vampire got to his feet, blood smearing his hands and clothes. Ignoring Pikachu's protests, he walked across the room to look down into the hole. Gary followed him.

"Think they survived that?" Gary asked, looking down into the darkness. Even with his shades on, nothing could be seen. They had probably fallen through the main floor as well and down to the basement.

"Probably," Ash said dryly. He had seen them live past things worse than that.

"Should we go look for them and finish the job?"

Ash stared into the darkness for a moment before turning away and heading towards the exit. "No, our real enemy is Geovanni, and he's not here. There's no reason for us to stay."

Gary nodded silently, walking away from the destruction.

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter Five

Creatures of the Night

Chapter Five

By Crow Skywalker

-----

Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon, nor do I claim to. Characters belong to their creators, I'm just borrowing them for my own fun.

Author's Notes –  Well, it's been a while since I've updated this. I'm sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been busy with life and other fics. I no longer have a weekly updating schedule, so I don't know when the next update will be. I had writer's block with this chapter, anyway…even though I have this whole fic roughly planned out. This chapter also ended up being a lot longer than intended, but that's besides the point. Also, I want to say this is not, and I repeat, not a May/Ash fic. Ash sees May as his little sister, which I clearly state in this chapter. Also, yes, there is mentions of past Melody/Ash romance in this chapter. What, did you think Ash never had a lover before? :P Anyway, next chapter – Misty finally shows up (And so I can start the Misty/Ash romance!). In fact, I'll give you three guesses who screams in the last few sentences of this chapter. If you get in right, then you get a cookie…but not a real one, lol. Anyway, see you next update! Enjoy this chapter!

Other Notes – AU. Rated R for dark and sexual themes, blood, violence and all that good stuff. Can't have a vampire fic without it, now can I? Future Ash/Misty romance. Besides that, Jessie/James, hints of May/Gary, maybe others later on.

Summary – During the day, Celadon City is full of people and pokemon alike. At night, they aren't the only ones roaming the streets.

-----

May was sitting at home, her feet propped up on her desk as she leaned back in her chair, resting her head comfortably and enjoying the silence. Since the guys had left, all the bickering and heavy atmosphere had disappeared and, while she should have probably been doing work, she felt the need to relax. She hadn't slept for two nights, after all, and she had had to put up with both Gary and Ash constantly at each other's throats the night before. With the guys out on their mission and Pikachu in Ash's room asleep, no one could see her slack off. She deserved this quiet time!

The door slammed open, despite it being locked, and May smelled the charred wood before she could even register what was happening. Swinging her chair around, she looked over the desk to get a better look at the door. Pikachu was standing in the doorway, having obviously shocked the lock off the door, and he was waving his arms back and forth at something that May could not see.

Puzzled, May blinked. "Pikachu? But aren't you…" she trailed off, looking at the closed door to Ash's room. She could have sworn she had seen Pikachu scamper off into that room earlier, mad because Ash refused to take the electric mouse with him. How did he get out in the hallway of the apartment building?

There was a groan as a hand appeared on the doorway, and Ash stumbled into the room as Gary followed after him. May immediately took in the blood on her perfectly white door and what was dropping off of Ash onto her nice hardwood floor. She immediately got to her feet, slightly angry that her quiet time had been ruined, and even more angry that her apartment was being dirtied. That anger soon dissipated, however, as she looked at Ash's face.

"Ash!" She cried, running towards him and bending down to get a better look at him, "What happened to your face?"

Gary closed to door, careful of the hot doorknob. It fell off once the door slammed shut, and all he could do was shrug and leave it. There was no fixing it now, anyway. May would have to get it fixed, and quite possibly get a new door as well.

"Was attacked by…some old friends," Ash gritted out through clenched teeth, his eyes half closed as blood continued to seep into them. He lifted a hand to rub the dark substance out of his eyes but May caught his arm, shaking her head.

"Don't rub it! It'll only make it worse!" She scolded him, leading him over to the couch by the arm she was holding onto. Sitting him down, she quickly went to retrieve the first aid kit, making sure to tell Gary to make sure Ash stayed still.

Gary sat in the chair across from Ash, studying the vampire carefully. Finally, he opened his mouth to say, "It looks awful. You'll be scarred for life, man. Not that your face looked good before, because it was really a horrible sight…but now you'll scare away even the chicks who like the ugly guys! You're doomed, Ashy boy…doomed."

If Ash could have, he would have rolled his eyes. _Like I have time for girls, anyway!_

May returned shortly afterwards, carrying his trusty first aid kit and a wet cloth. Laying the kit next to Ash, she bent down and gazed at the mess that was Ash's face. She scrunched up her nose a little before saying, "Those gashes are pretty deep." She hesitated, "This may hurt a bit.."

Ash hissed as May dabbed at his face with the wet cloth, and when she pulled away in surprise he closed his eyes. It hurt, to say the least – though Ash knew that it wouldn't last long. Though he hadn't said anything to Gary's comment, he knew that despite what the other man thought, his face would return to normal once it healed. They probably wouldn't even leave a scar. The perks of being one of the undead.

"Maybe you should do this yourself." May admitted, handing him the washcloth and helping him off of the couch. She walked him to the bathroom, switching on the light and turning on the faucet in the bathroom sink. "I'm afraid I might cause more pain then you're already in."

Ash nodded, looking in the mirror with one eye opened. _Wow, is that what I really look like now?_ He frowned. He didn't even recognize himself. Dipping the cloth into the cool running water, he proceeded to clean his cuts on his own. May left him, closing the door to give him more privacy.

Turning to Gary, the girl winced. "Must have been bad, huh?"

Gary looked at her silently, nodding once before he looked away. "Yeah."

-----

The rest of the night had passed very slowly, and quietly at that. Ash had emerged from the bathroom about an hour later, looking a bit better but still looking like he had seen better days. He'd grabbed a bag of blood from the fridge and, after May had insisted upon heating it up for him, he took it into his room to drink quietly. He wanted to rest and regain his strength. May had let him go, giving Pikachu a look that said 'watch him carefully'. Gary had ended up staying the night because May had insisted upon it, loaning him one of the spare bedrooms that weren't being used. He'd finally accepted and, growing quite tired himself, he'd gone to bed for the night.

Now, early the next morning, May was still sitting up at her computer, staring at the screen with unfocused eyes. She'd managed to get a bit of work done, but not enough to be able to translate another letter from the scrolls. With a sigh of frustration she finally got up, grabbing her ever present coffee mug as she headed to the kitchen to refill it.

"It's only nine in the morning," she mumbled to herself as she caught the time off the microwave as she passed it. She hit the switch to turn on the coffee maker so that it would make her some new hot liquid to drink rather than the old cold stuff that was left there. That done, she sighed and leaned backwards against the kitchen counter waiting for the pot to warm.

_This is going to be a long day_, she decided, staring out the kitchen window. The sun was up outside, shining in through the half open blinds and casting shadows on the kitchen table. If she knew if Ash was getting up at any time today, she would have ventured over to close the blinds – but she had no idea when he would finally wake up and come out of his room. Poor guy.

Gary had told her what had happened the night before, though his story was missing a few details. Details such as who the two vampires were and why they seemed to know Ash. May frowned – perhaps they were friends of Ash's? He had called them 'old friends' the night before – but then, why did they attack him? May puzzled over this, though she knew she would never ask Ash. Whatever Ash did in his past, whoever he knew, it wasn't any of May's business. If Ash felt she needed to know, then he would tell her.

A figure appeared in the doorway next to her, startling her and almost making her drop the mug that she was holding. She saw Gary standing there, his arms raised above his head as he yawned and stretched.

"You're up early."

Gary run a hand through his hair, which seemed to magically pop back into place, and peered at May. "I don't sleep often, and when I do, it's only for a few hours."

May's mouth opened to form a 'o' before she turned to click off the coffee maker, taking down a new mug for Gary. Behind her, he sat down at the table, trying to fix his lopsided clothes that he had slept in the night before.

"Did you sleep well, then?" May asked, busying herself with pouring the coffee.

"Of course," May turned in time to see him wink at her, "I had such a lovely lady just in the next room, how could I not have had a good sleep?"

May blushed, putting a mug of coffee down in front of Gary. She was used to his flirting – he usually did it whenever he was around because it seemed to annoy Ash – but no matter how much she tried to ignore it, she couldn't help but smile. Living with Ash wasn't exactly all that fun, and though she loved living here, she lacked a personal life. There were only a few times when she could go out and enjoy herself, sit back and relax and meet new people…and never in her life had these people been interested in her. Gary's comments made her feel good inside – pretty, special, and wanted.

"Do you think Ashy boy kicked the bucket overnight?" His voice came through her sunny thoughts and she frowned at the man before her. Of course, she was only deluding herself if she thought Gary was the guy for her. He could be nice and charming at times, but otherwise he was an arrogant prick.

Slamming her mug down on the table hard enough that it startled Gary, May closed her eyes as she sighed. She'd been worried about Ash all night, wondering if he was going to be okay or if perhaps he needed something. Maybe it would be best if she went and checked on him now, since it was well past morning and though Ash needed the sleep, he definitely needed to be checked on.

Gary watched her as she left the table, wondering if it had been something he'd said. With a shrug he went back to drinking his coffee alone.

Picking up the first aid kit on her way, she held it close to her as she stopped outside Ash's door uncertainly. What if Ash was fine, asleep and resting from his wounds? Would he be mad at her for waking him up? She knew that if she were to open the door and wake him then she would feel bad for doing so. But there was still the chance that he was lying in there suffering…

With her lips settled into a firm determined line, May reached her free hand up and knocked before she quietly turned the door knob to open the door. Peeking inside she found the room to be dark, and careful of the sunlight in the living room, she squeezed in through the small crack between the door and shut the door behind her, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the darkness.

"Ash?" She whispered after a moment, realizing her sight wasn't going to get any better than it already was. She took a step from where she stood, bumping into something in the dark. "Damn it! Do you always have to have it so dark in here?" She wondered out loud.

"Its part of being a vampire, the darkness," a voice answered her question dryly, startling May as a lamp flickered on. Ash was sitting up in bed, his hand still out to the lamp on his bed stand as he watched her, his eyes reflecting an eerie reddish orange, almost like a cat, in the dim light. May blushed at being caught, turning her eyes away from him when she realized he wasn't wearing a shirt. Her eyes landed on Pikachu, who was curled up next to his master. Slowly, after a moment, she returned her gaze to his face.

"You're looking a lot better," she told him – it was true, he was. His healing abilities were incredible! Most of his face was already healed, only dark red scars could be seen in the light of the room. "The scratches are almost gone."

He smirked knowingly at her. "Told you they wouldn't last long. They'll probably be gone by night fall."

May nodded, walking across the room to take a seat on the side of his bed. She laid the first aid kit down next to her, "I won't be needing this anymore." She looked up at him and gave him a light smile, "I was worried about you all last night. Did you have much trouble sleeping with the pain?"

Ash sat up further, the sheet slipping down his chest. Beside him, Pikachu kicked out in his sleep before growling and cuddling into a small yellow ball. "Not much. I was pretty tired. As soon as I closed my eyes I was gone."

"Did I wake you?" May asked suddenly, worried that she had. He shook his head.

"No, I was lying here staring at the ceiling when you came in." He told her, and she felt relieved. "Is Gary still here?"

"Yes, he spent the night," May replied. "I refused to let him drive home after the events of last night."

"I figured as much," Ash replied, amusement hinted in his voice. "He isn't bothering you too much, is he?"

May poked him roughly in the knee, careful of his injuries. With a grin on her face she said, "You tell me. I know that you can hear everything that goes on, everything that's said in this apartment."

Ash grinned in return, his fangs flashing in the dim light, though not in a threatening way. May was unfazed by this, not one bit afraid of the vampire before her. "You can tell him that I'm alright, and that I haven't 'kicked the bucket' just yet."

May laughed, reaching out to pet the sleeping Pikachu. The small electric mouse rolled over, cooing when she scratched his stomach. "Good to hear, I'm sure he'll love _that_ news." There was a moment of silence, the only sound coming from May's long fingers as she scratched at Pikachu's short soft fur. "I should probably be getting back now." She reached for the first aid, "You need your rest."

Ash didn't think he really needed much more sleep, but he decided that it probably would be better if he got more rest. He settled back down in bed as May stood, and he gave her a thankful look.

"I'll see you in a few hours," May told him, heading for the door, "And don't make any plans for tonight! No more gun fights or other lethal activities! We're having a nice night tonight, taking a break from all the hard work, got it?"

Ash rolled his eyes at her stern look. "Whatever."

-----

Night had come slowly that day, or so it seemed like to May. She spent most of the day chatting with Gary, who was his usual arrogant and ass of a self, and working on translating the scrolls. The hours dragged by so slow that May had grown impatient and snappy throughout the day, though Gary was oblivious to anything but himself. When Ash had finally emerged from his room at sunset, May had been very grateful. It gave her something to do and someone intelligent to talk to, and, jumping up from her favorite chair as soon as she saw him, she offered to make him 'breakfast'.

Ash, slightly confused as May pushed past him into the kitchen, shrugged off her moodiness as something to do with Gary, who was still babbling on as he watched television. Walking past Gary, he turned off the television, ignoring Gary's protest, and turned to the videophone. Sitting down in front of it, he stared at the buttons before he remembered May's voice in his head.

_"Speed dial, Ash. Get with the ages."_

With a snort, Ash pushed the button that he had seen May last push, wondering if that single button really would dial all of the numbers that he wanted to dial. Sure enough, a few minutes later Professor Oak's face popped up on the screen.

"Ash, nice to be hearing from you again," the old man said before he suddenly stopped, leaning in to the screen and studying Ash's marred face. "What happened to your face?"

"The lead was false. It was an ambush…"

The Professor frowned. "I see. I take it didn't go too well?"

"Two of Geovanni's minions were waiting for us." Ash filled him in, "They had guns and there was a fight…I had one of them cornered and the fight was pretty much over, that was, until they called upon a Pokemon of theirs. It was a Meowth, I believe. It clawed me right across the face and I couldn't see a thing." Ash looked down, his expression troubled, "If it weren't for Pikachu and Gary, then I probably wouldn't be here now."

A hand suddenly slapped him on the back, and Ash winced as he remembered Gary was still in the room. "That's right Ashy boy! You're nothing without me!" Gary then leaned over her shoulder, that arrogant smirk ever present as he waved at Oak, "Hey Gramps!"

"Gary, you're still there?" Oak asked, looking puzzled, "I thought for sure you'd be on your way home by now."

"May couldn't resist my good charms," Gary replied, straightening as he studied his finger nails, "She practically begged me to stay the night."

"I did not!" May shouted indignantly from somewhere in the kitchen, and Ash snorted.

"May didn't want Gary going home after what happened last night," Ash told Oak, ignoring Gary's glare.

"Ah, that explains it."

"But don't worry, he'll be heading home soon," Ash shot the other man a look over his shoulder, which Gary sneered at in response.

May emerged from the kitchen then, carrying a mug full of dark liquid. She put it in front of Ash, who took it and raised the mug to his lips, drinking his fill of the warm blood. He ignored Gary's fake gag and exclaimed 'That's sick, dude!'. The old man gave him a scolding, and Gary quieted, crossing his arms and moving away to sit back on the couch.

"I'm sorry the lead turned out to be a fake," Oak replied to Ash. "I'm glad that you came out on top, though. I'll keep an open ear in hopes that I'll find another lead, but there's never a guarantee that it will bring you to the right place." At this Ash nodded, and the old man continued, "Until then, keep trying to translate those scrolls, and hopefully they will give us a clue as to what's going on."

"Yes sir," Ash retorted as Oak said his goodbyes and the screen went blank. "Well, that's over with," he turned his chair so that he was sideways and facing the other two. "All we can do now is sit back and relax, work on the scrolls and wait for more leads."

May nodded and there was a moment of silence between. She walked over to the windows, looking out over the dark city as a cool breeze came in through an open window. The city below was beautiful at night, signs and buildings lighting up in different colors. From where she stood, she could practically see the whole city, its lights mesmerizing her.

_I haven't been out on the town in so long_, she sighed, shifting her weight as she leaned against the window pane. _Ever since I started hanging around with this bunch… _A wicked smile suddenly crossed her lips, and she looked over her shoulder at the two men. "Hey, Ash…" she started in her nicest voice, "Since we can't do much right now, and I'm tired of sitting at the computer all day…can we go out?"

Ash raised a brow, looking slightly lost. "Out?"

"Yeah, you know…" she pointed out the window, "Out. We can go out and enjoy the night for once and forget our worries."

Ash silently crossed his arms, his expression never changing. "Why would I want to do that?"

Hearing Ash's disapproval, Gary was on his feet in a second, standing in front of May with her hands in his. "That sounds like a great idea! I know this great club…"

"Wait, wait, _wait_! Hold on a second!" Ash was standing as well now, eyes narrowed. "No way!"

"Aw, come on Ash!" May pleaded, giving him her famous puppy eyes. "I've never once asked for a night off to enjoy myself! Why can't we go out this one night and have fun?"

"I don't _do_ fun." He replied dryly, looking as if he wouldn't budge.

"Come on, you need this!" May shrugged off Gary, moving towards Ash, "All you do is sit around and mope, and when you're not moping you're off almost getting yourself killed! You could use a break just as much as I do!"

Ash gave her a cross look, "I'm fine with my way of living."

"Please?" May tried again, "I don't think I've ever seen you go out without some kind of mission!"

"I don't like city life," he replied, "And I especially don't like hanging around people."

May put her hands on her hips. "You hang around with me!"

"You're different," was his reply, and he winced as her eyes narrowed. "Fine! I'll go…but I won't enjoy it!"

May leapt at him, looking quite happy. "Thank you!" She buried her head in his chest, her arms wrapped around his neck. He sighed, rolling his eyes as he uncrossed his arms.

He was such a sucker when it came to girls, especially May, who was like the younger sister he never had.

With a squeal of delight May let go of him, running in the direction of her room. "I'm going to change!"

Ash sighed, rubbing at the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. He knew that he was going to regret this.

-----

The club was hot, despite it being very chilly outside. This was mainly due to the large population of humans dancing to the overly loud music on the dance floor, the smell of sweat and alcohol heavy in the air. The place was dimly lit, the stage where a local band was playing and the bar across the way from it the only sources of light in the whole crowded place.

In the dark corner of the club, sitting at the end of the bar with a shot of vodka in his hand, Ash watched the moving bodies on the dance floor, his face set in grim fascination. He'd never been one to mingle with humans, not since he'd been killed at Geovanni's hand. Sure, he'd walked as if he were one of them many a night after that, but he had been on the prowl for food at the time. Ash felt a thrilling shiver go up his spine and his eyes narrowed, shaking the feeling off. No, the past was the past, and once he had changed his ways, he had tried hard to stay away from the humans around him.

But May had been different, he mused, looking down at his shot glass. Lifting it to his lips he drank it back, feeling it burn on the way down. He sometimes still ate and drank human food, though it had little effect on him. Waving at the bar tender, he signaled that he wanted a refill.

May had been the first human to ever search out him. It had always been him in the past, searching for someone to play and eat with. It had been quite strange when she had showed up, knowing who and what he was and still not fearing him one bit. He'd been intrigued by her, and as the days past and her insistence grew, he'd decided that she wasn't that bad for a human and he started to enjoy her company. It had been a long time since he had had a conversation with anyone, and May sure liked to talk.

Staring across the dance floor, he watched as May danced to whatever song was on – it had a fast beat, though he couldn't quite catch the lyrics – her hips swinging and her arms in the air as she moved her feet with the crowd. She seemed to be enjoying herself, and for once, Ash realized that she had been right. Back before she had invited him into her home, before they had met…she had probably been just another normal teenage girl who loved to do things like this. But her new job had taken up most of her time since then, and she rarely ever got to go out.

His lips set in a grim line, Ash looked down at his now full shot glass of vodka. Maybe he shouldn't have been so tough on May. She was only a young woman, after all…and he always kept her busy with things that should have only concerned him. The scrolls, for example – she worked day and night on those, even though she didn't really need to, and she never took a break.

_This must be the first time she's been out in years_, Ash realized, swirling the liquid in his glass around before taking it back. He promised there and then that he wouldn't be so hard on the girl, that he would insist upon her having more of a social life from now on.

He looked back at the dancing people as the bar tender refilled his glass again, his eyes searching out May and Gary. Gary was dancing with May now, one hand on her waist and the other in the air as he moved his body with hers to the music. May, though sometimes annoyed with the man, didn't seem to mind for she had a large grin on her face. It grew wider as they turned and she saw Ash sitting at the bar. Letting go of Gary, she pranced over to the raven haired vampire.

"Come on, Ash!" she tried to grab him by the arm, "Let's dance!"

Ash looked up at the young woman that he'd come to consider his younger sister, though she would grow old and he would forever stay the same, he mused. "No thanks. I never was one to dance."

"You can learn!" She laughed, tugging at his leather duster's sleeve.

He shook his head, giving her a pointed look with a small amused smile. "Vampires don't dance."

May pouted with a 'hmph!' before turning back to the crowd. "Suit yourself!" she replied, and she disappeared back into the moving crowd.

There was a small silence before, "That was a lie, you know. I know plenty of vampires who dance."

Ash whirled around, startled by the feminine voice that had whispered in his ear. His eyes widened as he stared at the woman standing behind him, who smiled in return as she realized his shock as he looked her over.

She stood with one hand on her hips, a white top on that clung tight to her figure and didn't leave much to the imagination. It curved down in the front, showing most of her breasts before it tied in the front with a black bow. The shirt ended just before her hips, showing creamy skin, and her black jeans hung low and clung to her legs. She wore matching black sandals on her feet, her toenails painted red to match her painted finger nails. Her hair was long and a bright auburn color, divided low in the back so that she looked like she had her hair in pig tails, though they were much too big to be considered that. Her face was pretty, and sparkling light blue eyes stared back into his dark ones in amusement.

"Melody," he breathed, blinking as he looked up at her face.

"The one and only," she winked, taking a seat next to him. He turned so that he could look at her, still in shock at seeing her. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" she asked, waving a hand to catch the bar tender's attention. Once she had ordered, he replied.

"A few centuries."

She took a sip of her bloody mary, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "Last time I saw you, you were creating havoc in the Orange Islands region." She laughed, "I was there for a short while, if you remember. I saw the things you did," her smiled faded somewhat as she looked at him, "though you know I never approved of it."

"Melody, I –" Ash stared at her, his expression pained. He finally looked down at his drink, the memories haunting him. "I've changed since then."

"Oh?" She gave him a curious glance, taking another sip of her drink.

"I've changed," he started, not look up at her, "I'm not the same person I used to be."

"That's for sure," she replied, her eyes dancing about the room and landing on May, "I knew that you liked to play with your food, but the look on your face when that chick is around…"

"That's May," Ash said absently, swishing the contents of his glass around, "She's the family that I never had."

"Really?" Melody looked intrigued now, her head tilted as she tried to catch his gaze.

"I've given up my old ways," Ash informed her, finally drinking the contents of his glass. How many had that been now, three…four? He'd lost count since he'd arrived. "I've left behind my past, including our old friends Jessie and James."

"Word on the street is that you busted them up pretty bad last night," said Melody, her voice lowering, "Is this true?"

"Yes." Again, Ash refused to look at her, "I've turned against them all. My one goal now is to destroy Geovanni for ruining my life…for making me the blood thirsty creature that I once was, and still am."

Melody laid a hand on his shoulder and he finally look up at her. She gave him a sympathetic smile. "I'm glad you finally came to, Ash. I tried to tell you for years that what you were doing was bad…and that one day you might regret doing what you had done."

"I should have listened to you," he admitted, "But I was crazy back then…I'd lost my family, everyone I'd ever loved…it was all torn away from me, and I'd been given this incredible strength. I felt invincible, and half the time I didn't even realize what I was doing." He shook his head, "I did some terrible things…and I'm still regretting them."

There was a small silence before her looked up at her. "I'm sorry Melody, for everything I did. To those people…to you…"

Melody flinched, but her gaze didn't waver.

"I killed you, made you one of us," Ash said bitterly, looking away again. "You stood by my side through everything, even though I killed your family and ripped you from your human life. I'm…I'm sorry, I really am. You must hate me…I'm okay with that, as long as you know that I'm sorry."

Melody suddenly put her arm around him, letting her head rest between the crook of his neck. In a whispery voice she replied, "I could never hate you, Ash….not after everything we've shared. But I can never love you as I did in the past."

He looked down at her, smiling gently as he laid his chin on her head and wrapped his arms around her. "That's fine with me. I'm happy knowing that you don't hate me for the past. I hope to atone for all my wrong doings of the past."

She pulled away, smiling up at him. "I'm glad. If you ever need any help, just call me."

"I will," he nodded, drinking the last of his vodka.

"See you around?" she asked hopefully, obviously about to leave.

"See you around," he confirmed, watching as she disappeared into the darkness, leaving her half empty bloody mary and a wad of cash on the counter.

He was about to order a refill of his drink when his vampiric senses picked up something outside, a faint sound that he could just barely hear over the loud music of the club. He listened carefully, picking some cash out of his pocket as he stood.

A loud scream pieced his senses, and he realized he wasn't imagining things.

Throwing the money down he ran in the direction of the exit, his hand moving to the gun at his side.

To Be Continued…


	7. Chapter Six

Creatures of the Night

Chapter Six

By Crow Skywalker

-----

Disclaimer – I don't own Pokemon, nor do I claim to. Characters belong to their creators, I'm just borrowing them for my own fun.

Author's Notes – It's been a while, hasn't it? Suffered through a lot of writer's block with this one, but I've finally finished this chapter! Happy reading!

Other Notes – AU. Rated R for dark and sexual themes, blood, violence and all that good stuff. Can't have a vampire fic without it, now can I? Future Ash/Misty romance. Besides that, Jessie/James, hints of May/Gary, maybe others later on.

Summary – During the day, Celadon City is full of people and pokemon alike. At night, they aren't the only ones roaming the streets.

-----

It was cold outside, an almost wintry feeling hanging in the air. It was the kind of cold that was strong enough to make your breath crystallize in the air, and the people of Celadon wore heavy jackets as they walked the streets of the city. Ash felt none of this as he exited the dance club that he had allowed May to drag him to, his eyes searching frantically as he tried to listen carefully and find out the source of the troubled feelings he was having.

After his encounter with his ex lover Melody, he had been quite distraught. He hadn't known that she had been in town – they'd parted so long ago, he'd almost forgotten what she'd looked like. The feelings, however, still lingered in his heart – the pain, the regret he still felt for what he had done to her all those years ago. Even after apologizing to her, talking to her and telling her he was no longer the same person – he still felt miserable whenever he thought about her. He'd taken her life, after all, and tortured and killed everything in his path. It wasn't something one could easily forget.

The noise his vampire senses had known quite well had disturbed his thoughts and memories, calling out to him. Though faint, he could smell the tingly scent of blood in the small dance bar, and when he had heard the noise again – the scream of fright and pain, he knew something was happening. Someone was in trouble, and he immediately went in search of the source of disturbance.

He stood outside the bar now, trying hard to train all thoughts and senses on his surroundings. The smell of blood was still weak outside, though a lot more powerful since there was no smell of cigarette smoke and sweat in the air. He listened for any sounds, any indication of what direction he should follow. There were none, the sound of people walking by on the busy street making it too hard to tell.

**Pikachu.**

From somewhere close by the small rodent replied, **Ash?**

Ash almost rolled his eyes – he'd told the small Pokemon to stay at home, away from the crowds of the club. May had locked the door and shut all the windows so that he wouldn't try to follow, but it seemed like the small electric mouse had somehow managed to follow them anyway. For once, Ash was glad that Pikachu had followed him.

**Did you hear that?** He asked mentally, unsure of where his Pokemon was hiding to. Perhaps Pikachu was close by, and had picked up the sound with his large ears? He had been outside somewhere all this time, after all, and he would have heard it better than Ash, who had to pick it up over the loud voices and smells of the club. **Where are you anyway?**

**I'm about two streets away from you**, the Pokemon answered. **I didn't hear anything, sorry.**

Ash rubbed at his eyes tiredly. **I can smell blood, and I heard a scream, **he told his Pokemon, **but there are too many people around and I don't know what direction it's coming from.**

**In need of help again, are you?** Ash could hear the amusement in the Pokemon's voice.

Ash narrowed his eyes, looking through the passing crowds in the street. **No, not really. I guess I can always use Umbreon to help me find the source. He obeys me, at least.**

**Hey, I obey you too!** Ash could almost see Pikachu's pout through their mental connection. **I just don't like being left behind at home!**

**There was no need for you to tag along,** Ash replied.

**Until now,** the Pokemon said, his voice closer.

Ash looked down the street to see the small electric rodent running towards him. He ran on all fours, darting around and in between people walking down the dark street. Most people ignored him – Pokemon were a common thing in the streets these days, almost everyone owned one. Ash held out his hand as the small Pokemon got closer, and once Pikachu reached a point about ten feet away from Ash he jumped, clinging onto Ash's arm and running up to his shoulder where he sat, huffing slightly.

Ash reached up and scratched behind his ear, his eyes narrowing as he sniffed the air once more. He could still smell the weak scent of blood, but he didn't know what direction it was coming from.

**Can you smell it?** He asked his Pokemon.

**A little,** the small mouse replied. **But you know that you have a better nose for these things than I do.**

**There's too many other smells,** Ash admitted. **It's too hard to sort them out. We need –**

There was a soft cry somewhere in the distance, alerting Ash to the direction he had to take. From the corner of his eye he could see Pikachu's ears swing in the same direction, and without another word he took off, Pikachu's claws digging into his cloak as he ran. As they grew closer, the small got stronger and voices could be heard. Following his senses, Ash found himself in front of a dark alley.

**This is it,** he told Pikachu as the small rodent jumped down off his shoulders. The Pokemon landed on its paws silently, small eyes narrowed at the alley. Ash reached to his side for his gun, pulling it out and quickly making sure it was loaded before replacing it. With a silent breath, he walked into the darkness well prepared for whatever waited him.

----------

She'd been out with her friends at a popular club, dancing and drinking the night away when a handsome stranger had lured her onto the dance floor. He had been charming, and quite sweet, telling her how beautiful she was and how he was lucky to have found her. She'd smiled at all of his playful flirting, not used to being hit on by a guy. She'd only recently turned nineteen, and this was her first time at a club.

Her friends had been smashed, drinking beer after beer at their table until they could hardly stand anymore. They laughed and giggled when she'd left with the stranger, knowing full well that she'd be okay – she was known at school for being quite a brute when she wanted to be, and she packed quite a punch. They'd waved her off, whispering to each other and silently congratulating her on finding such a nice guy.

She had blushed, holding onto his hand as she exited the club and breathed in the cold night air for the first time since she entered the club. It was refreshing, especially since it felt like her face was on fire. With a shy smile, she gazed up at the man, her innocent eyes peering up at him from under her long bangs of hair.

"So, where are we going?" She'd asked, and he'd simply smiled at her and led her by the hand. There was no reply, just a mystery as to where they were headed.

They walked for a bit, and the girl had become quite chilled without a coat. Her smile had long since faded, and her steps had grown more sluggish so now it seemed like he was pulling her along. When he stopped in front of an alley, and it seemed like he was about to drag her into its darkness, she spoke again.

"I'm really cold," she'd admitted, "I think I want to go back to my friends now."

He'd smiled down at her, reaching up a hand to gently run it through her hair. He'd leaned in, so their mouths were close, and she'd wanted to back away so that she could have some breathing room, but his hand had still been in her hair. Her heart was pounding, but she wasn't sure if it was from his closeness or the fact that she had started to get scared.

"And why would you want to do that?" He'd asked, their lips dangerously close.

"I-I'm scared," she'd admitted, looking away from his silvery gray eyes.

"Of what?" He'd asked softly into her ear.

"Of you," she replied quietly.

He'd backed away, his hand still in her hair. All of a sudden he gave a great tug, and she screamed.

"As you should be."

Looking back, she didn't know why she had been so interested in this mysterious stranger. She didn't know why she had left the club with him, or what she had ever seen in him. He'd pulled her hair so hard that he'd ripped some out, her scalp sore and bleeding. That didn't matter now, because he'd trapped her in an alley and there was no escape.

She ran, it was the only thing she could do. She ran and she screamed. He laughed at her misery, catching her by the arm and slapping her across the face. She yelped, her free hand flying up to her burning skin.

"Stop your screaming, bitch." He smirked at her, "Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"Like hell," she spat, her strength coming to her. She raised her free arm and slashed him across the face with her nails, digging deeply into his flesh. He staggered back, letting go of her for a moment as blood gushed out of his wounds.

That moment was all she needed.

Yanking her arm away from him, she ran once more. She knew there was no escape, that the alley ended in a dead end, but there was still time to run and think of a plan. There had to be some way she could get away from this lunatic. She screamed again as someone tackled her from behind, and she landed on the ground with a sickening thud, her face hitting the pavement and scraping as she slid. She almost screamed again as her attacker flung her over on her back, sitting on her arms so that she could not use them against him.

"You'll pay for that, bitch," he snarled, raising his fist and sending it crashing into her nose. There was a crack and the girl felt blood seeping down her lip and into her open mouth. Horrified, and in great pain, she screamed loudly, trying to buck him off of her. He laughed, grabbing hold of her hair and yanking, causing her to scream even louder.

"So sorry that I had to ruin your pretty face, dear," he smiled down at her as she quieted momentarily. "But the pain will only last another minute. I'm going to have my way with you, and then I'm going to kill you."

His hand moved to her blouse, his eyes hungry as he ripped button by button off until her blouse was open and her pale stomach was apparent in the dim moonlight coming from overhead. Tears streamed down her face, mixed with blood, and she gasped in between screams as she tried to fight him.

He grinned down at her, and her eyes widened as she saw his teeth elongate into fangs before her very eyes. "No use fighting, you're gonna get what's coming to you."

His face lowered to where her chest was covered by her bra, and she closed her eyes and screamed as loudly as she could, her throat burning as if it were on fire. Suddenly, the weight upon her lifted, and through blurry eyes she saw a flash of yellow in the darkness. Without knowing what was going on, she scrambled to her feet, her legs shaking.

Her attacker was standing with his back to her, his hands clenched at his side and his face still bloody from where she had scratched him. He was staring at something in the darkness, his eyes narrowed and a snarl coming from deep in his throat.

"Show yourself!" He demanded to the darkness, and at the sound of his voice the girl stumbled backwards, her back hitting against the side of a building. She gripped the stone wall, her fingers digging into it for support. With wide eyes, she searched the darkness but couldn't see anything. "I know you're there!"

"That's good. I'd be worried if you didn't," a voice replied with humor, and the girl's eyes widened ever further, if possible, as a figure stepped forward, cloaked in darkness. A Pikachu stood at his feet, hair raised and cheeks sparking with electricity in the night air.

"Ashtereon. Figures you would show up," the man snarled, and the girl let loose a whimper at the sound of his harsh voice.

The cloaked man tilted his head, looking slightly disappointed. "You mean you weren't looking for me?"

The man growled, his eyes flashing red with his anger. "Why would I look for a traitor like you?"

Ash smirked, fangs flashing as his lips moved. "Your boss wants me dead, does he not?"

The girl watched, shivering as her arms covered herself as best as she could, unable to understand what was going on in front of her. First some guy had lured her away from her friends, had attacked and tried to rape her, and she had been saved by a mysterious man. She watched as they began to circle each other, her attacker moving further and further away from her, much to her relief.

"Maybe," the attacker grinned suddenly. "However, I'm just out for the hunt. How about you just go on your merry way and let us vampires do what vampires gotta do?" His grinned widened, and the girl realized her attacker was once again looking at her, a glint in his red eyes.

Ash sighed, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he tapped one foot lightly. "I'm pretty sure I can't do that," he told the man. "For one, I'm involved now, and I can't let you kill such a pretty lady in front of me. It would rest on my conscious and I would never get the feeling to go away." There was a slight pause before he said, "So after some consideration, I'm afraid I'm going to have to fight you."

The red eyed vampire laughed. "You think you can win against me, do you?"

Ash snorted, his hand moving towards the gun by his side. The other vampire watched his hand closely in the darkness, but Ash's hand never touched the gun. It hovered over it tauntingly, but the gun never left the holster. "Oh, I'm dead sure I can beat you."

"You're a confident one, you are," the other vampire growled, and with one quick movement and a twist of clothes, the vampire whipped the gun that had been carefully concealed within his shirt out. He pointed it at Ash and Ash suddenly halted, hands moving away from his gun and coming to rest in mid air in a defensive way. "Too confident."

"Is that so?" A smile made its way across Ash's lips, widening with each second that ticked by. The attacker's gun lowered slightly as the other vampire looked at him quizzically, and Ash couldn't help but snort. "You really are a dumb one."

With that, Ash's gaze flicked down to his feet where Pikachu stood on all fours. "Pikachu. Thunder."

Above them there was a rumble of thunder, the clouds swirling and growing darker. The attacker looked to the sky, momentarily forgetting that his gun was supposed to be aimed at the enemy. He had no time to shoot, no time to move; he did just one thing before the lightning rained down on him.

"Oh shit," he groaned, and then a crack of lightning came from the sky, so bright and powerful that it made the air crackle with energy. It hit him head first, searing the skin off his head and melting his flesh off his skull. His body danced as the jolts made their way through his body, his gun falling from his hand and landing on the ground with a loud clank. The smell of burning flesh filled the alley, and seconds later, it was over. He was dead.

Ash watched as the vampire fell to the ground, his burnt head smashing open. He winced hoping the girl had been smart enough to close her eyes, that she had been smart enough not to watch – and turning around to face her, he realized he was sadly mistaken. She was staring at the body in horror struck fascination, her mouth frozen in a silent gasp.

Biting his lip, Ash was unsure if he should approach her or not. Chances were she was going to freak out and run away at any second, even if he did help her up and offer her first aid. Decideing that she really looked like she needed help, he slowly approached her, hands up to show he meant her no harm.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he told her softly, watching her breaths hitch in her throat as she stared at the body. It didn't look like she was going to respond. It was like she was traumatized and couldn't look away. At his feet, Pikachu was cautiously taking steps as well, only slightly ahead of him.

**Looks like she's in bad shape, Pikachu.** Ash watched as the small rodent Pokemon stopped beside her, staring up at her with dark eyes. Pikachu sniffed her before licking a drop of blood off of one of her hands. That seemed to wake her out of her daze and Ash had to cover his ears as another high pitched scream echoed through the small alley.

"Get away!" She suddenly started to sob, her feet pushing at the stone ground beneath her feet. She couldn't back up any further, but her feet still pushed, and her eyes started to leak new tears. "Leave me alone!"

Ash paused. "Look, I'm sorry you had to see that, but he had a gun pointed at –" Ash started to explain, but it seemed she didn't want an explanation, she just wanted him to leave.

"Go away…go away!" She continued to sob, her hands falling to her sides as she dug her nails into the ground, chipping them and making them bleed. "Go…leave me alone!"

With a sigh of frustration, he growled at her, "Miss! You need help, okay? I know someone who can help you! Just let-" He took a step forward and she scrambled to her feet, clawing at the wall behind her.

"You're one of them!" She shrieked. "I know you are! I saw your eyes!"

"Miss, calm down," Ash tried again.

"I will not!" She shot back, glaring at him fiercely.

"Miss, if you calm down, you will realize I just saved you from that man," Ash took another step towards her, his hands still held out to show that he meant her no harm. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

She finally seemed to consider his words, though she still flinched away as he moved closer. "What…what was he?" She asked after a moment of long silence, her gaze glancing between her attacker and her savior, unsure of if she should trust him like he was asking her to.

"He was a vampire," Ash replied slowly. "And a very sucky one at that."

"And you…you're a vampire too?" She asked, taking a step to her right as she noticed the Pikachu at her feet.

"Yes, I am," Ash answered truthfully.

"T-There's no such thing!" She yelled at him. "Tell me the truth!"

Ash snorted. "Sorry to burst your bubble, lady, but it is the truth." She smirked then, and once again his fangs were visible. "Everything that your mother ever told you when you were a child that goes bump in the night? It's all real."

Maybe it was the fatigue and the loss of blood, or from the trauma of what had just happened to her, or maybe even the realization of his words – but at that moment, her body decided to give out on her. Ash watched as her blue eyes rolled up into her head and her body sagged forward. In one quick movement he caught her in his arms and he quickly checked to see if she was still breathing.

**Is she okay?** Pikachu wondered.

**She's alright for now**, Ash answered. Staring down at her he noticed that she had fair porcelain skin, framed by silky, tangled orange hair. Her clothes were ripped up and she was bleeding from numerous places. **We have to find somewhere where she can get bandaged up and lots of rest.**

"Ash!" A feminine voice called from somewhere nearby, and Ash's head jerked up as May ran into the alley, looking very worried. "This girl came by and said that I might be needed and OH MY GOD ASH-!" May stopped in front of the vampire, staring at the girl he had cradled in his arm. With one quick swing he picked the strange girl up so that he had one arm supporting her back and one arm under her legs.

"May, she was attacked. She needs help now," Ash informed her.

"Take her back to our place for now," Said May. "If we take her to the hospital there will be too many questions. That's the best option right now. I'll bandage her up, and once she's awake we can send her to the hospital once she's able to walk again."

Ash nodded, walking past May. "Get a cab home, May, and be careful."

May nodded, watching his back as he left. "How are you getting home?" She called after him in concern.

"Traveling quickly is easy for a vampire," he told her over his shoulder with a small smile.

And then he was gone, faded into the darkness, and May was alone in the alley.

To Be Continued…


End file.
